


Save me

by Duvainthel



Category: Daredevil (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-09
Updated: 2018-08-07
Packaged: 2018-10-17 00:45:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 14
Words: 61,480
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10582899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Duvainthel/pseuds/Duvainthel
Summary: Caroline's powers are growing and she doesn't know the extent of them. After fleeing her home with the help of Tony Stark and S.H.I.E.L.D. she arrives in Hell's Kitchen. She get's a job at a law firm with a very handsome and often hurt blind lawyer.





	1. Welcome to Hell's Kitchen

**Author's Note:**

> This fanfic will losely follow the main storyline. Various changes may be made.  
> This is my first fanfic so tips and feedback will be appreciated.  
> I'm sorry, English is not my main language so there will most likely be some errors.

Rain was pouring through the dark night. A black SUV driving through the ill lit street made the raindrops shatter upon impact.  
The sound of rain thrumming on the roof filled de black SUV. Caroline was relaxed by it. She saw the buildings flash by through her reflection, trying to ignore the man next to her.  
One of the so-called hero’s everyone recently worships.  
Her eyes dart briefly to his reflection in the car window and she rolled her eyes, focusing on her own.  
She smirked when she saw her fiery red hair in her reflection. In de glow of the streetlight it looked like actual fire. Her natural hair was actually blond, a soft blond. But shortly after she had to flee from her own town – her stomach twisted into a painful knot while thinking of it – he had obligated her to dye her hair. She didn’t want to, she loved her hair color, but there was no swaying him. And pick something neutral, like brown. He had shouted after her when she went into the hair salon. Oh the look on his face when she had exited the salon with red hair. She could still hear him grit his teeth. Priceless. which brings us to the reason the thrumming of rain on the roof was the only sound that filled the SUV.  
The car started to slow and stopped at an apartment block. This tore her focus away from her reflection and directed it to the man next to her.  
“Where are we?”  
“Hell’s Kitchen.”  
She grimaced. What ridiculous name.  
“Are you serious?”  
He looked at her with an amused face.  
“What not glamorous enough for you?” She rolled her eyes.  
“At least it’s better than the Stark tower.” She muttered  
“What’s wrong with my tower?”  
“Oh I don’t know, that it’s basically an enormous target screaming here lives Ironman.”  
Stark laughed at that.  
“That makes life more interesting my dear.”  
Caroline rolled her eyes once more.  
“So why are we here?”  
“This is your new home.”  
“Yeah I figured as much, but what do you expect me to do here?”  
“Well that’s up to you. Normal people get jobs. So they tell me anyway.”  
Her mouth dropped open and she looked at him with disgust.  
“So what? Your rip me from my home, tell me you have great plans with my powers. Then you turn around and drop me literally in hell and expect me to get a job and live a normal life?”  
“First of all, you caused the reason why we had to rip you from your home yourself.”  
The knot in her stomach pulled tighter at these words.  
“Anyway it’s up to you. I seem to recall that I told you that your powers could be interesting. There not much use right now, they still have to grow. So you can either live a normal life and get all of this behind you, or hone your powers until they are of use.”  
“How am I supposed to hone my powers?”  
“By training. Did I tell you that this town is sick with corruption and crime? Since healing comes so naturally to you, we figured that you could start with a town that is dying.”  
She frowned at that. Did he just tell her she should become a vigilante here?  
“Shouldn’t you be training me or something?”  
“Honey, I’m part of the Avengers and you are not the only protégé I have, I don’t have time to train you. Go read some comics or something. You’ll figure it out.”  
At this point her hands twitched to scratch his eyes out. It took all she had in her to keep her energy inside her body and not release it on him.  
“Anyway, since we’ll need you from time to time you’ll have a steady inflow of money the information is in this envelope, but I advise you to get a job anyway. There’s a coded satellite phone in your bag, the only safe line to contact us. Oh and…”  
He took something out of his inner pocket and gave it to her along with the envelope.  
It was a silver round button with a led light to the side.  
“If there’s an emergency, and I mean Avenger emergency press that button for 5 seconds. We’ll come. Or one of us anyway.”  
She put it in het bag already deciding she’ll never use it.  
“Now off you go, I have places to be, worlds to save…” He said mockingly until his phone started buzzing and he took it out to read the message.  
She was chocked, this was not what she had expected. Gritting her teeth together she opened the door of the SUV and got out.  
“Hold on.” Stark said while reading his cellphone.  
“A good place to start might be the vigilante who’s already active here.”  
“What?” She snapped. The rain only needed a few seconds to completely soak her.  
“There’s a vigilante who is already active here. He’s been quite busy.” He looked at her and smiled.  
“If you can, figure out who he is will you? As soon as you do contact me.”  
And with that he closed the door and the SUV departed, leaving her in the pouring rain.  
“Are you fucking kidding me?” She whispered to the fading taillights of the SUV.  
“Miss Fox?”  
She kept staring in the street in disbelief not feeling that the rain was no longer soaking her.  
“Miss Fox?”  
The voice got through to her and she turned around. A doorman of the building behind her was holding an umbrella over her.  
“Miss Fox, shall we go inside?”  
She grimaced at the fake name. Stark’s funny retort to her red hair.  
“Oh uhm Yes thank you…” Her eyes were drawn to his nametag. “…George.”  
A smile broke through the middle-aged man and he guided her to the building.  
“All your things were already delivered earlier today.”  
She nodded absentmindedly as they entered the building. The hall was mostly crafted out of marble and had a majestic feeling about it.  
The doorman closed the umbrella and put it behind the desk.  
“Follow me please, I’ll show you to your apartment.”  
She followed him to the elevator and he pushed the top button.  
“You’re lucky that the top apartment was still free. It has a great view and an direct passageway to the roof.”  
She smirked at that. She doubted that it was for the view that they chose that apartment.  
Arriving to the top floor the elevator doors opened and revealed a hallway with only two doors.  
And only one of them had a door number.  
“This is you.”  
“What’s the other door for?”  
“That is also for roof access but for the other tenants.”  
“Oh”  
“So, these are your keys. Two for the front door, one for your storage place and one for the garage. Your car is already parked there.”  
Her heart fluttered, they gave her a freaking car?  
“If there is anything you need, I’m at the front desk. Just dial 1 on the phone.”  
“Thank you, George.”  
George smiled at her.  
“Good evening miss Fox.”  
He disappeared in the elevator.  
With a small bubble of excitement in her stomach – next to the knot that doesn’t really disappear – she unlocked het front door.  
The first thing that struck her was the view. She could see the skyline – If you can really count it as a skyline – of the city.  
The second thing that struck her was when she turned on the lights.  
She just stood there, thumbs truck staring in awe at her new home.  
“Are you fucking kidding me?”  
It was enormous. The kitchen was to the far right of the room, in red and black with an cooking isle and a white dinner table with six black chairs.  
The living room was a step lower, right in front of her with a grey L-shaped sofa, white coffee table, red fluffy carpet. There was a freaking fireplace and the huge TV hang up on a wall with a cabinet underneath.  
To her left there were 3 doors and a coat rack – where her coats were already hanging – and a shoe rack – with her shoes.  
After the initial chock, she finally closed her front door and hung her soaked jacket on the rack.  
She also slipped out of her shoes and stored them away.  
Door 1 was a simple room with a bed and a closet. Door 2 was the bathroom – which was huge, shower bathtub and gigantic mirror and all. Door 3 was her bedroom fully decorated in pastel colors with make-up table, desk and all. And surprisingly two more doors. One led to the previously visited bathroom and one to her closet – which of course was practically a room on its own, her things barely filled it.  
After a bit exploring she came to the conclusion that all her things were already here and stored like she had lived here for ages.  
Only her laptop was nowhere to be found until her eyes fell on the coffee table.  
There was a laptop alright but it wasn’t hers. It was a new one of the same brand. She opened it and found a sticky note. Hope you like it. With a winky face.  
Oh. My. God. This was Starks doing, always exaggerating. She felt a bit dirty from all the luxury and decided to wash it off. After a quick shower and putting on her pj’s, she sat down in the sofa.  
After going through the envelope, she found her new ID, drivers license and credit card with her bank account details. She pulled out the laptop to check out the details but after she saw her apartment, she really didn’t want to know.  
Again, feeling guilty for these expenses, she pulled the laptop closer and started looking for jobs.

-§-

Her heart hammered through her chest when she looked up at the building.  
“Okay, you can do this.” She muttered to herself.  
She had been jobhunting late into the night yesterday. After an hour, her curiosity got the better of her and she had looked at her bank account. She almost got a heart attack from the numbers she saw on the screen. Then and there she decided to look for a job in a starting business with a low payroll. She really didn’t need the extra money. So, she figured she could help a starting business out.  
She had driven to different locations all morning but never stopped because they seemed too shady.  
This was the first stop she made that looked reasonable.  
It was a law firm Nelson and Murdock, which was in line with her degree.  
Which she just recently got. So this is her first official interview hence her nervousness  
“You can do this.” She reminded herself again.  
While her heart was ravaging her ribcage she entered the building and searched for the right office.  
A door with a handwritten note caught her attention. Nelson and Murdock  
Well this is it.  
She knocked on the door.  
On the other side she heard some noise, like boxes falling.  
“SHIT! A minute.”  
She chuckled as she heard some more boxes falling over.  
The door finally opened to reveal a man in his late 20’s with sand brown hair, he looked at her and his eyes widened when they fell on her.  
“Hi.” She said cautiously.  
“Hi.” It came out high pitched.  
“I mean Hi.” Very low pitched now.  
She chuckled and tough she heard someone laughing on the inside.  
“So eum are you a client?” His face practically lit up completely at the thought of that. She stifled another chuckle.  
“I’m afraid not, I’m here for the job?”  
“Oh eh wright.” He just stood there for a second and then realized that he was talking to her in the hallway.  
“Come in.” He tried opening the door further but is was blocked by boxes.  
“I’m so sorry, we just started furnishing the office, we didn’t expect clients so soon.”  
“She’s not a client remember?”  
The new voice demanded her attention and she turn to see where it came from.  
Her breath caught in het throat when she looked at the man in front of her. He was handsome and that was an understatement. He had short brown hair and a square jaw with a short stubble spreading across it. His build was athletic but not overdone just a hint. His eyes were masked by red tined, round glasses. Why he wears them inside is a mystery. Maybe sensitivity to light? A hangover? He did seem tired. He stepped forward with his hand stretched out.  
“I’m Mattew Murdock, and he is Franklin Nelson.” He tilted his head over at Foggy.  
“But you can call us Foggy and Matt.” Foggy istered.  
“My name is Caroline Fox.”  
She took his hand and shook it. He had a strong grip.  
“So euhm as I said, I’m here for the job offering?”  
“Oh right, follow me. My office is the only one that is ready.”  
She started to follow him.  
“I swear he can tell.” Muttered Foggy behind me.  
“Excuse me?” She turned.  
“Oh nothing don’t mind me. Let’s go to Matt’s office.”  
She heard Matt chuckle behind her. When She turned again to follow him we was grinning.  
Her heart skipped a beat at the sight of it, but shook it off.  
They entered Matt’s office and she took place in front of him and Foggy.  
“So why are you interested in our firm?”  
“To be honest, I wanted to start in a beginning firm and yours was the first that wasn’t… well…”  
“Shady?”  
“Black market?”  
“Garbage?”  
“A hoax?” Matt and Foggy took turns in suggestions.  
Caroline chuckled.  
“Yeah.”  
“Why a beginning firm Caroline? The pay isn’t great.”  
Because Stark made me feel dirty rich with his money and I thought it was bad karma. But that’s not really something she’s supposed to say, is it. So she settled for something else.  
“It’s silly, but I like the though of being part of a company that’s growing from the beginning.”  
Matt nods with a small smile tugging his lips.  
Her heart fluttered and he could hear it but she didn’t know that.  
“It’s not silly. So what are your credentials?”  
“Well euhm…” She fidgeted with the rim of het T-Shirt.  
“I don’t have any. Just my degree as a lawyer.”  
“Oh euhm I’m sorry Caroline, but we’re not looking for another lawyer right away.”  
“That’s okay.” She said hurriedly.  
“I saw the add was for a secretary, I’m okay with that. I have a lot to learn anyway, I haven’t done an internship. But I thought my degree could help.”  
Matt raised an eyebrow, Foggy looked confused.  
“So you don’t want to be a lawyer?” Foggy asked.  
“Oh I do. But since I didn’t do an internship I won’t get any opportunities, so I though I could start as a secretary and learn from you two and if your firm grows maybe revisit the option?”  
Foggy and Matt looked at each other.  
“Can we discuss this for a minute Caroline?”  
“Of course.” She stood. “Shall I go …?”  
“No no, just wait in the hallway.”  
She nodded and left the office.  
Matt heard her heart stammer as she left the room. Hope? Fear? Maybe a little of both.  
“Matt…” Foggy started.  
“It’s a good opportunity Foggy. I don’t think we’ll have a lot of people coming in with a lawyer background. She could be much more than a secretary with that background. And if we grow…”  
“Yeah but that’s a big if Matt.”  
“I know, if we make that clear, and if it’s something that she’d be okay with…”  
“I swear Matt, I don’t know how you know there’s a beautiful woman involved but…”  
“She’s beautiful?” Matt chuckled.  
“Oh don’t pretend you don’t know. I know you’re blind but I swear you always know, somehow you know.” Foggy shook his head.  
“Well her appearance doesn’t take away that…” Matt turned his head towards the door.  
A sudden rush of energy was passing through the air in the room next to them. He never felt something like that before. It made his blood rush through his veins.  
“Matt?”

Caroline was waiting between the boxes as her maybe future bosses are discussing of they should hire her. She heard their voices through the wall, but couldn’t make anything of it. She had only met these guys for a few minutes but she would love to work for them.  
Caroline sighed and sensed a familiar tickling in her neck.  
“Oh.” She turned to the boxes and started cautiously looking inside until she found it.  
“Ah.” One box contained tree plants half dying. Poor guys.  
She took them out and set them in the sun by the window. They will need a little encouraging.  
She held her hands over the plants and concentrated. The familiar buildup of energy began in her belly and she guided it towards the plants.  
After a few seconds they looked healthy again and her throat was dry. She didn’t notice the voices had stopped. The door opened slowly.  
“Caroline?” she jumped and let her arms fall to her sides quickly.  
“I’m sorry.” She stammered. Shit she had been looking in their boxes, most people find that rude. She always put life in front of trivial things as common social skills, which was one of the reasons she had to flee she realized with a painful pang.  
“I… I just saw the plants and put them in the sun.”  
Foggy looked at the plants with big eyes.  
“Wow, I was going to throw them out. They looked dead to me.”  
“Well a little sun can do a lot.”  
“You’re hired.” Matt blurted out.  
Foggy looked with surprise at Matt. Her heart leaped.  
“Just know that it could take a long time before we need another lawyer.”  
“If ever.” Said Foggy softly.  
“Great! I mean, I don’t mind. I expected it.” Caroline said. “When can I start?”  
“Tomorrow morning at 8.” Foggy said.  
Caroline thought of the great day she would have in her new wealth, it didn’t please her.  
“Actually, if you guys want I could help setting the office up?” She said. “You don’t have to pay me for today.” She quickly added.  
“That’s really nice of you.” Matt answered.  
Carolina smiled widely and pushed her sleeves up. “Great, were do I start?”  
Foggy chuckled. “Well since Matt’s already installed, I’d say my office.”  
“Which boxes are that?”  
Caroline and Foggy started on Foggy’s office. Matt disappeared in his office.  
The hours flew by and Foggy’s desk was quickly installed along with his cupboards. It took some time and a lot of curses but eventually it was ready. They moved on to the boxes.  
Caroline stumbled upon their degrees in frames. She peeked her head out of Foggy’s office to ask him where he would like to put them, but he was nowhere to be found.  
She knocked on Matt door.  
“Come in.”  
Matt was putting away folders in his cabinet when she open the door.  
He turned her way and she saw how absolutely tired he was. A little push could help him. Caroline let a bit of her energy flow to him.  
He jerked his head up and her heart almost stood still. He felt that?  
“So Foggy’s gone and I wondered where I should put this?”  
She held up the degrees.  
Matt tilted his head.  
“Put what?”  
Caroline frowned, her eyes flashed to his glasses and saw him reach for a white cane.  
“Oh my god. I’m sorry, I didn’t realize…”  
Matt laughed and approached her, cane in hand, not really using it.  
“It’s okay, normally the cane is a dead give away but once I get used to a space I don’t really need it.”  
“But the glasses, I should have …” Caroline muttered.  
“It’s okay, I could be a douche who wears shades all the time.”  
“I though you had a hangover actually.”  
Matt laughed.  
“Or that.”  
Caroline smiled at him.  
“So what were you talking about?”  
“Oh eum your and Foggy’s degrees. Where should I put them?”  
“Where would you put them?”  
“Well somewhere the clients can see them right away when they enter the office? It could help build their thrust.”  
Matt smiled. “Great idea, you should bring yours too.”  
“Really?”  
“Why not? If we want to build thrust, better do it good.”  
Caroline hoped they didn’t forget to pack her degree. Could she ask for it? If they want her to have a normal job they’ll have to deliver it.  
“Sure, I’ll look for it. I just moved here so it’s still in boxes.”  
“Oh, were do you come from?”  
“Lawrence, Kansas.”  
“Why the change?”  
Caroline heart started speeding up and Matt heard it. Was that fear?  
“I needed a change.” Well that’s a lie. Curious, maybe it had to do with energy surges. He could have sworn it came from her. He felt it flowing from her, didn’t he?  
Curious girl.  
Foggy was back and Caroline went to look for a good spot for the degrees.  
They were busy unpacking the last of the boxes when Foggy’s phone rang.  
“Hey buddy.” He answered.  
Caroline looked around for other boxes but discovered that was the last of them.  
“Thank you.” Foggy hung up and left his office.  
“Matt we have a case. She’s in the precinct.”  
“Great!” Matt took his cane and grinned widely.  
“Should I come?”  
“That’s ok Caroline. You helped us enough for today. Remember we’re not paying you today. Tomorrow we start at 8.” Matt said. Caroline put on her coat and approached the guys.  
“Okay, thanks again for hiring me.”  
She shook Foggy’s hand and held a hand out for Matt, but realized he couldn’t see it.  
Caroline hesitated for a second but then reached out for his free hand at his side and took it in hers for a handshake.  
Matt smiled. “We’re lucky to have you.”  
Caroline opened the door to leave.  
“Oh and welcome to Hell’s kitchen.”  
“Thank you.”


	2. Savior

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fanfic will losely follow the main storyline. Various changes may be made.  
> This is my first fanfic so tips and feedback will be appreciated.  
> I'm sorry, English is not my main language so there will most likely be some errors.
> 
> It could be that the business stuff isn't quite correct, i'm sorry for winging it :)

Back at her apartment – her overly expensive apartment – Caroline was wondering if she would have to order in. Time to inspect the kitchen.  
Her fridge already had several menus attached to it from local restaurant with delivery times.  
She opened her fridge and of course it was already filled. When she opened the cupboards, they were already filled with snacks drinks and so on.  
Caroline rolled her eyes, what? Did they think she would starve to death?  
Browsing through the food she discovered she had all the ingredients for lasagna and started cooking. She opened a beer and took a good swig.  
She was happy with her new workspace. Matt and Foggy seemed like decent guys who knew how to have fun. That reminded her of her degree, she checked if the food was okay for a few minutes, took another sip of her beer and went looking for her degree.  
After checking everything in the living room she went to her bedroom. There is was. It already hung on a wall. After carefully taking it off, she placed it by her work stuff and hurried to her food.   
She put her lasagna in a casserole and prepared the oven. When it was done preheating she put it in and set the timer.  
There was enough time for a quick shower. Afterwards she looked critically at her closet. All her things from home were in there, but among it not a lot of secretary worthy attires. She’ll have to go shopping, better look the part for the law firm.  
Her cellphone ringed through the room. Caroline put on some sweatpants with an easy tank top and went to check her cellphone.  
Got a job? It was from Stark.  
Yes, at a local law firm as a secretary.  
Good girl, trained your powers yet? She rolled her eyes.  
A little.  
Well get to it, if you want to be of use.  
Her blood began boiling again and she promptly changed his name to “Dick” in her contacts.  
The oven chimed notifying her the dish was ready.  
So, she needed to hone her powers but how?  
And as if on cue her phone alarmed her of a new text.  
Cap says a good way to start is pushing your limits.  
Test her limits?   
After dinner, she put the excess – which was a lot – back in the fridge. Maybe the guys would like a taste over lunch?  
She needs to test her limits, but how?  
Caroline suddenly got a great idea and researched where the nearest hospital was.

It didn’t take long to find it, so after a few minutes she was looking up to the building from under her hoodie. Going directly into the E.R. might draw to much attention so she went to sit on a bench and pulled her hoodie more over her face.  
Her heart hammered through her chest and the hairs on her neck raised. Feeling al the sickness pulling at her. She closed her eyes. Okay test her limits, let’s see how far I can feel.  
Caroline suddenly remembered the last time she had put out her feelers further than normal and fear started gripping her at her throat.  
It had overwhelmed her, clawed at her and all she had wanted was to push it all away… Caroline swallowed hard at the memory. Okay Carol, you can do this. Just don’t push it away, don’t panic.  
She took a shaky deep breath and focused on the restraints she puts op all the time and let them fall.  
It all stormed in and she gasped at the overwhelming amounts of information.  
Broken legs, cuts, stitches, cancer, difficult to breathe, severed finger, concussion, shards of glass in the skin, severely beaten, a cough, ammonia, crushed ribs, …  
She was drowning, it went further than the hospital, into the city. A man beating his wife, someone cutting their fingers, a nasty fall from the stairs, …  
Too much.  
Panic started gripping at her and she wanted to pull away, push it all away.  
Focus.  
Give them all a place and ignore them.  
The crushed ribs were in the E.R. morphine started to flow through his system. The broken leg was set, also in the E.R.  
The guy, no … woman with ammonia was on the second floor. The guy who fell down the stairs was a few streets further.  
Caroline’s breath started to even out as she painted a picture of all the sick or hurt people close to her. After a few minutes, it was a pretty clear picture and she could follow everyone at a time or single out one person. She sensed her powers were more flexible now. Carefully she started to heal people who didn’t get immediate medical attention. Not completely heal them – that would raise some sticky questions – but take away some of the pain, pull it into her. Give a push into the healing process so it would go faster.  
Caroline was on the bench over a half hour when she started to feel drained. Pulling the pain into her made her feel it. Her body healed quickly so it only lasts a second but doing it on a grand scale was exhausting.  
She drew the energy back into her and tried to stand. Her knees buckled and dropped to the ground on all fours.  
Breathing heavenly she was surprised at how drained she was. She found the spot of energy of the man beating his wife and took some of his.  
She felt immediately more energetic and the man fainted. Good riddance.  
Caroline tried to stand again and succeeded. Good. Enough training for today. She hesitated, should she put the walls back up? Block everything out? She decided not to, testing her limits and all.  
She started walking back to her apartment, not seeing the figure on the roof of the hospital.

What had just happened? He had felt the same shift of energy from before and followed it to the hospital. Matt was baffled, the enormous amount of energy shifting towards multiple places, mostly the hospital. He couldn’t pin point the origin of the energy since it took so many directions. His world on fire had never been so bright with energy. It was beautiful, so beautiful, he lost himself in it. Then it slowly stopped. He tried to pin point the origin now but he couldn’t find it. Was it Caroline? He had felt the same thing near her, and he could have sworn there was energy flowing from her to him in his office. He was surprised by it and did something he avoided when he was playing blind but he had jerked his head straight at her. She was scared by his action. Most people would have acted surprised not scared. She had acted as he had caught her steeling the last cookie. But what happened in his office was nothing in comparison with what had just happened here.  
Curious.  
A woman screamed in the distance and he jerked his head towards the sound. The woman was running and someone was taunting her while she was sobbing. He bolted towards the sounds.

-§-

Matt was in his office on time – which would not happen often. Not much later Foggy entered and after him Caroline.  
Her muscles where tired, he could feel it in their tension. She breathed heavier from the stairs than she had yesterday and he heard her yawn. Tuff night?  
He exited his office to greet them.  
“Good morning people.”  
“Morning.” Foggy said.  
“Good morning Matt.” Caroline’s muscles in her face shifted in something he learned was a smile.  
In a good mood, even if she’s exhausted, good to know.  
“Hey I brought you guys something for lunch. Who likes lasagna?”  
“Are you kidding me? It’s my favorite dish.” Foggy said smiling.  
“I love it too.” And from the smell of it smelled delicious and thank god fresh. He couldn’t smell any chemicals, hopefully they won’t be present in the taste.  
“Good, because I made a bunch.” Caroline went to store it in the fridge.  
“Oh and Matt I brought my degree as you asked. You still want me to put it up?”  
“Of course.” He moved to get some coffee and noticed too late that Caroline was getting out of the kitchen. He could side step but he was blind so he had to finish his action. She bumped right into him. She really was exhausted her balance shifted and he felt how she started falling.  
Screw it, he reached out and grabbed her by the arms and pulled her upright.

Man, he was strong. It was walking into a brick wall. He grabbed her and put her on her feet. Still close to him she breathed in his scent. He smelled like a rainy day and something sweet. She loved it. Her heart hammered against her chest which was currently pressed against his. He probably could feel it. Feeling embarrassed she took a step back her face flushed.  
“I’m so sorry, I wasn’t looking.”  
“Me neither.” Matt chuckled.  
Caroline laughed.  
“Hey Matt. We need to go. A guard tried to strangle miss Page in her sleep last night.”  
“What?!” Matt turned to Foggy.  
“Yeah, we can get her out now or sue.”  
“I told you there was something that didn’t sit right with this case.”  
“Yeah, yeah. Let’s go.”  
“I’ll stay here. You know for when there are clients.” Caroline said.  
“Okay we’ll see you later.”  
They left and Caroline was alone in the office. She put up her degree next to the degrees of the guys.  
So, they were going to get miss Page out or either sue the precinct. She researched the correct documents and the articles of the law to prepare them.  
Caroline realized they didn’t have a printer yet so she put it on a thumb drive. She wrote a note on the door that she was out for 15 minutes and went to the nearest printing office.  
They didn’t have a coffee machine, nor a printer, nor conference phones. Maybe best check their resources and ask approval of Matt and Foggy to purchase some.  
She had 5 minutes to spare when she arrived back at the office. Caroline threw away her own note and organized the documentations in two separate folders, for two different outcomes.  
When she was done with that and the company’s mail she started checking the company’s resources.  
They had given her all the documentations on the firm yesterday, so she could handle rent and such.  
When she saw the resources, she swallowed hard.  
Well okay, maybe she would have to help them in another way. She could smuggle the stuff in and say it was from company’s pay but pay for it herself. Would they notice that? How would they react if they did?  
She was interrupted from her thoughts by the opening door. She looked at her watch, they were gone for 4 hours, better start the lasagna up – thank god, they had a microwave.  
Matt and Foggy entered followed by a slim trembling woman with light cherry blonde hair.  
She was crying and bruises blackened her throat.  
“Jezus, are you alright?” Caroline rushed to them.  
She hooked her arm in hers for support and let some healing energy flow over her. Her bruises cleared a bit visually but she didn’t care. The poor thing.  
Caroline guided her to a chair at the common table. She focused on healing the bruises internally and tried not to clear too much on her skin.  
The woman blinked a bit in surprise at the sudden release of pain and Caroline decided to stop, to not raise suspicion.  
“Karen, was it?” Karen nodded. “I’m Caroline, their secretary. Have you eaten at all today?”  
“No.”  
“I’ll prepare something.” Caroline turned and saw Matt face her, with a surprised look on his face. Caroline pushed back a blush and went to get the folders. Since they weren’t in braille – the guy at the printing office said they didn’t do that – she handed the correct one to Foggy.  
“This should have the correct documentation for her release. You’ll have to go over it and sign it.”  
“Thanks Caroline. What’s the other folder for?”   
“In case they wouldn’t release her I prepared the documentation to sue them. But we won’t need them now.”  
“So, you prepared both?” Matt inserted himself.  
“Well yeah, to save time.” Matt smiled.  
“Good work, Caroline.” Foggy said. Caroline gave her most dashing smile and disappeared to heat up the lasagna.  
“Told you it was a good idea to hire her.” Matt muttered.  
“Yeah, yeah.”

After a few moments, the dish was ready and Caroline brought it to the table.  
Karen was in the arms of Foggy crying.   
“She can stay at my place tonight. I’ll keep you safe Karen.”  
Caroline raised her eyebrows at that. How can a blind man do anything?  
She coughed.  
“No offence Matt, but you’re blind.”   
Matt looked at her with an irritated look on his face and she hid a smirk by starting to serve the lasagna. He probably thought he would get lucky tonight.  
“She has a point buddy. I can’t look after her tonight thought. Can she stay with you Caroline?”  
Horror struck her. No not at that place. They’ll immediately know my personal wealth.  
“Euhm it’s kinda stuffed full with boxes at the moment.”  
“Well my place it is then.” Said Matt victorious.  
“Well for the sake of safety and a pair of eyes maybe Caroline can say over too. Subduing three people is more difficult than two and certainly if one of them is blind.”  
Matt thought about that for a moment.  
“Fine by me.”  
“It’s settled then.”   
“Thank you so much.” Karen said with a shaky breath.  
“Now eating time. And be honest how it tastes, I made it myself.”  
Everyone sat down to eat.  
Foggy moaned after his first bite.  
“This is freaking delicious, Caroline.”  
Matt didn’t taste any chemicals to his surprise and the flavors where delicious.  
“Foggy is right Caroline.”  
“Indeed.” Karen said between two bites.  
“I’m glad you guys like it.”   
They ate with some banter, Karen remained silent which was understandable.  
The rest of the afternoon was quiet they all did their own thing. Karen hovered a bit around mostly with Caroline. The day flew by and soon they were locking up.  
“Matt, what’s your address? I’ll just get some things and join you afterwards.”  
He gave his address.  
“Okay I’ll see you guys soon. And you tomorrow Foggy.”  
It didn’t take long to get her things and arrive at Matt’s place. She knocked on the door.  
Matt opened the door.  
“Hey.”  
“Hi.”  
He let her in and she moved to the living room.  
“Damn.” A huge electric sign with publicity was flashing directly to the living room.  
Karen sat in the sofa with a shirt on. One of Matt’s Caroline suspected.  
“Yeah, I don’t really care and got a nice discount because of it.”  
“I bet.”  
“So, Karen will take the bed, you can take the sofa Caroline.”  
Caroline raised her eyebrows.  
“Where will you sleep?” He’d better not say with Karen.  
“I’ll look for a soft spot on the floor.” Matt said smiling.  
“You’re kidding, right?”  
“No.”  
“Karen, do you mind if we share the bed? Would you find that awkward?”  
“Not at all. It’s like a sleepover.” She smiled weakly.  
“Well there. You can take the sofa, Matt.”  
Matt chuckled.  
It wasn’t long until everyone was settled. Karen was restless, she kept stirring until eventually she was still. It didn’t take long for Caroline to drift away as well.  
She stirred. Something wasn’t right. One of the wounded persons was gone from her picture without her help. Caroline opened her eyes and turned. Karen was gone.  
“Shit!”  
She got up and saw that Matt was still sleeping on the sofa. No sense of waking him up. He can’t see.  
Caroline closed her eyes and spread her senses. She could feel someone with a bruised neck leaving the building. Caroline didn’t bother changing out of her sweatpants and took her raincoat.  
She quickly followed Karen through the pouring rain, focusing on her wounded neck. Thank god, she didn’t heal it completely.  
Karen entered an apartment block and Caroline quickly followed her. Her front door was wide open.   
“Karen?”  
“Caroline! You followed me!” Karen had a thumb drive in her hand she stood in front of Caroline with a surprised look on her face.  
“It’s dangerous, you shouldn’t go out alone.”  
Caroline suddenly saw a dark figure moving closer from behind Karen.  
“Look out!”  
He threw Karen against the wall and approached Caroline. She quickly focused on draining him from energy but wasn’t quick enough. He slammed a fist against her face. She saw stars and fell to her knees. The stranger picked up the thumb drive and revealed a knife. He walked towards Karen.  
“No!”  
Caroline didn’t think, she just charged him. Trying to drain him at the same time. But with a quick flurry of hits she was on the floor again with blood leaking out her mouth. She focused on healing herself and looked up.  
Karen was pressed against the wall, stunned by fear.  
The stranger now approached Caroline instead with his knife drawn.  
In panic, she wondered if she could heal herself quick enough as he drew the blade across her neck.  
But suddenly the stranger was yanked away and thrown across the room.  
There was a new stranger present. Athletically build and completely dressed in black with a black scarf tied across the upper half of his head. He stood with his back toward Caroline in a protective stance. Could this be the vigilante?  
The other stranger charged the masked man and soon a flurry of punches and kicks were exchanged between them.  
Caroline crawled to Karen.  
“Are you okay?” She whispered.  
Karen looked at her with big eyes.  
“Yes, yes I think so.”  
“Good.”  
A loud crash echoed through the room, Caroline caught just a glimpse of both men stumbling through the window.  
“Shit!”  
Caroline got up and quickly exited to go downstairs. She sensed that their secret savior was hurt. It had been a hard fall. The attacker had landed higher and didn’t have as much damage.  
She started taking his energy and flowing it to the masked man.  
She almost fell down a few step because she was so focused on doing this. She felt how the fight started up again. And how Karen started following her.  
A few moments later she was in the pouring rain and saw the two strangers fighting. He was hurt too much. Caroline pressed harder and drained the other man more. Something stirred inside of her, awakening. She saw the attacker stumbling, he had difficulties to breathe.  
The masked man used this opportunity and trapped him in a metal chain and knocked him out.  
Karen had arrived next to her.   
The masked man stood blood dripping from his wounds. Caroline approached and started healing him.  
“Stop! Stop helping me.” The man grunted.  
Caroline froze. He could feel her helping him? She abruptly stopped healing him.  
The man nodded and searched the attacker. He showed what he found. It was the thumb drive.  
“Who are you?” Caroline blurted.  
“I’ll get this into the right hands.” He answered.  
“You can’t tell the police. You can’t trust them!” Karen shouted in fear.  
The man stopped dead in his tracks.  
“Then we tell everyone.”

A few moments later Karen and Caroline were back in her apartment cleaning up the mess. After everything was tidied up Karen took out a bottle of whiskey and poured a glass  
“What was that thumb drive anyway.”  
“It had the pension file on it.” Karen whispered.  
Caroline stared at her.   
“You made a copy.”  
“Yes, Matt was asking questions about it earlier. Thinking they didn’t kill me because they needed something from me and I realized he was right. So, I came to get it.”  
“You should have told us.”  
Karen finished her glass in one swig and poured another one.  
“I know, but I kept thinking I already got one man killed, I didn’t want you guys to follow suit.”  
Caroline finished hers in one shot also and welcomed the familiar burn.  
Karen wordlessly filled her glass again.  
“I get it.”  
“Thank you for following me. I saw what you did …” Karen stammered. “Tried to do for me. I’m sorry I couldn’t do the same. I was paralyzed, I felt the noose around my neck again …”  
Caroline waved her hand and took another swig.  
“That’s ok. Not everyone can be a badass like me.” Karen chuckled.  
“I wonder who that was though. The masked man.”  
“Me too, I saw the scarf cover his eyes wouldn’t that limit his sight?” Karen wondered.  
“Maybe it was see through? Had to be, how else would he fight?”  
“Don’t know, but thank god he showed up when he did.”  
“Thank god.”  
They clinked their glasses and emptied them.

When they arrived at Matt’s he was still sleeping. They decided not to wake him up and tell him tomorrow.  
The next morning the smells of breakfast and coffee woke Caroline.   
“Hmmm.” She turned and saw Karen looking at her.  
“Smells good, doesn’t it?”  
“Amazing.”  
We got up and went to the kitchen, Matt wasn’t immediately in view so we grabbed a cup of coffee and sat at the dinner table.  
They heard how a toilet got flushed and turned to welcome Matt. Caroline froze. She sensed his bruises and how he was hurt but you couldn’t see it. But the bruises, they matched the masked man’s almost completely.

When he entered view, he could immediately sense Caroline’s heartbeat speeding up.  
He knew now with certainty that the weird energy flows were caused by her. When he had demanded her to stop doing it yesterday the flows stopped, immediately. He had no clue how her powers worked but if she could sense the damages he knew she would know the following day who he was. He had hoped he stopped her in time yesterday. But the speed of her heart made him doubt that logic.  
“Morning girls, had a good night rest?” Act normal, throw of suspicion.  
“Morning.” Caroline muttered, he felt her gaze on him.  
“Morning, if you count almost getting killed then no.”  
Matt acted startled. Karen started telling the story of last night. He placed the appropriate reactions to it, he hoped. Caroline’s heart started to slow. Hopefully that’s a good sign. A, it can’t be him, he’s blind sign.   
“You should have seen her Matt. She was fearless, the way she charged the man.”  
Mat was impressed. He remembers being confused how the stranger had focused on Caroline instead of Karen. But she attacking him would do it.  
“Why didn’t you wake me?” he asked her.  
“What could you have done Matt, you’re blind.” Caroline responded, something behind her question. Like she was sarcastic, yeah Matt what could you have done, you’re blind.  
“I know, not much but three people in the room could have frightened him.”  
He was glad she didn’t wake him. That way he could follow them as his dark persona.  
“Maybe…” Caroline said. Her heartbeat was steady now. Please be convinced. The bruises! I have to explain them. Matt went to sit on a chair and winced distinctly. He immediately felt a wave of energy going towards him.  
“Matt what happened?” Karen said.  
Matt chuckled.  
“Sometimes I forget I’m blind and get careless. I stumbled on the stairs this morning when I went to get eggs. I guess I fell pretty hard.”  
“Are you okay?” Karen said.  
“Yeah, I suddenly feel a lot better when sitting down.” The flow of energy stopped.  
Matt had to push a chuckle back and kept listening to Caroline’s heartbeat, still steady. Please believe it.

Caroline hesitated. Matt fell down stairs. The masked vigilante fell out of a window. Both could give similar bruises, she didn’t heal him enough last night to really know the damage in detail. During the fight, she couldn’t examine him enough because she was to focused on draining the other guy. And for Christ’s sake the man was blind. How could he fight? Right?  
Caroline steadied herself. She was being ridiculous Matt’s Blind you can’t fake that. To be sure she tried to examine his eyes – which she had refrained to do out of respect. She didn’t sense anything, probably because it’s already healed. She couldn’t sense scars either, only bruises and wounds.  
It’s not Matt, couldn’t be.

Back at the office Karen had made a thank you dish, secret recipe.   
“This is really good Karen.” Caroline said after consuming her first bite.  
“So euhm, I’ve been wondering, maybe I could come work for you guys, you know as a thank you.”  
Caroline went silent, they didn’t have the money for two secretaries.   
Matt and Foggy looked at each other uncomfortably.  
“Karen, we just hired Caroline, I don’t think there’s room for another secretary.”  
“Oh.” Karen looked bummed and Caroline felt sorry for her.  
“Maybe we can shift the funds a bit around?” She opted.  
“I don’t know how much good that will do.” Matt said.  
“Did you guys ask a grant for starting businesses?”  
Matt and Foggy looked at each other.   
“I’ll take that as a no. I could request the grant. I don’t know if it be enough for a full payroll thought.”  
“That’s okay I can work part time.”  
“Well that should be enough but this is a onetime grant, after that our clients will have to start making you profits, or else it will dry out quickly.”  
“We’ll manage that when it comes around.” Matt said.  
“So…” Karen smiled.  
“You’re hired.” Foggy said smiling back.  
“Great!”  
“How do you know all this financial stuff Caroline?” Matt asked.  
“I took a side course in finance, specifically businesses.”  
Matt looked impressed.  
“Well it’s safe to say we keep the finances in Caroline’s hands. And then each of you will take the workload of one of us.”  
“Karen can take mine.” Foggy said eagerly.  
“Well that’s decided then. Caroline will take mine. Welcome to the team Karen.”  
Karen practically beamed. It made Caroline smile, she’ll have to look into the funding thing, but if it didn’t work out she could take from her own pool. Since the finances stay in her hands she could easily do it without anyone noticing.  
While Foggy and Karren started cleaning up, Matt disappeared to his office. She was going to be his assistant now. Caroline got an idea and went to the computer for research.

The next morning Matt arrived at his desk. To his surprise there was a box with a bow sitting on his desk.  
“I think this might come in handy.” Caroline said, while standing in the doorway.  
Matt looked surprised and started touching the box. He felt how Caroline moved closer and took his hand in hers.  
“Right here.” She guided his hand to a certain spot on the box until his fingertips touched a familiar set of bumps. He glided over the text. Braille printer. He surprised he held in his breath.  
“Caroline, do you know how much this costs?” he whispers.  
He felt her shrugging but didn’t react to the notion as usual.  
“Listen, I think you guys are really trying to do something good here. Make a difference. I want this to work out and I want to help you guys. So, consider it my contribution to your goals.”  
Matt sensed how close she was standing and her scent was all he could sense right now. She smelled like apples and a trace of coconut. He wanted to touch her but held his hand still.  
She was extraordinary. Not only with the power she had in her but also with her being, she was good. He thanked god for guiding her to them.  
“Does Foggy have an idea what this is worth?” She whispered, she had hoped that Matt wouldn’t have known, but of course he did. She felt a bit embarrassed with her gift now.  
“No. No he doesn’t I think.”  
“You think we can leave this between us? I…” Caroline searched for words. Matt standing so close didn’t really help the matter. The scent of rain was clouding her judgement.  
“Yes, of course. Thank you, Caroline.”  
“No problem Matt.” And with that she left him, both widely grinning.


	3. Hurt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fanfic will losely follow the main storyline. Various changes may be made.  
> This is my first fanfic so tips and feedback will be appreciated.  
> I'm sorry, English is not my main language so there will most likely be some errors.

An upside to Matt’s blindness was that she could stare at him without him knowing, thought Caroline. If Karen and Foggy weren’t in the room anyway. She let her eyes slide over him. He had a sweetness around him along with a hardness. It was difficult to put in place, the guy was a walking talking contradictory and it intrigued her. He had a dangerous feel about him but he also made her feel safe, it was strange how many different things he moved in her. And he was handsome, so handsome. Often, she caught herself wishing to see him, just once, without his glasses. What color of eyes would he have?  
He was using the printer she gave him, she saw he had a smile tugging his lips each time he used it. It had been ridiculously expensive but worth it.  
Foggy had said they didn’t even have a normal printer yet. Caroline had explained that for normal prints they could still go to the printer office – where they didn’t have braille.  
He caved after that.  
Matt was sorting through the pages and had pulled his sleeves up.  
Caroline could see the muscles underneath his skin. She though how much walking into him was like a walking into a brick wall, and how soft he got immediately afterwards when he had caught her. How close they had been.  
“Guys, we should all be going home soon. It’s already past eight.” Matt said.  
Caroline jumped up at the sound of his voice and almost blushed because of what she was thinking about.  
“I still have some things to set up.” Karen said.  
“Me too!” Foggy yelled from his office.  
“Well I’m going.” Matt said while putting on his coat.  
“Yeah, I’m going to head home too.” Caroline said. She wanted to go at the hospital again. Train some more.  
Matt smiled and held open the door for her. She quickly grabbed her stuff and yelled a goodbye to Foggy and Karen. Matt felt for the stairs with his cane and started to cautiously descent them. Caroline smiled, walked up to him and hooked her arm through his.  
“Let me help you.” Matt smiled at that.  
“Thank you, Caroline.” She guided him down the stairs giving him instructions and helping him avoid obstacles. It didn’t take long until they were outside.  
“Well that was a lot easier. You wouldn’t believe how much they leave on those stairs sometimes.”  
“You can always ask one of us to accompany you down?”  
Matt shook his head while smiling.  
“Wouldn’t want to disturb you guys.”  
“You’re never disturbing, Matt.” There fell a silence between them. She wanted to reach out and touch him but refrained to do so.  
“So, euhm do you want me to walk you home?”  
“There’s no need, Caroline. Go enjoy your evening.” I would be enjoying the evening but she swallowed that. Too much, too soon.  
“Okay, so I’ll see you tomorrow.”  
“I’ll hear you tomorrow.” Matt chuckled.

It didn’t take long to eat something and get back to the hospital. She went to the same bench and steadied herself a bit. She didn’t restrain herself anymore, she always felt everything but blocked it out most of the time. She curiously tried to expand the distance over which she could feel the sick and wounded. But there was a limit and she couldn’t push beyond it. Not yet anyway.  
So, she contented herself with taking pains away and starting the healing process for all the wounded and sick she could feel. She pushed herself further this time, trying to do more. Pushing her limits.  
After a half hour, she was breathing heavy and felt exhaustion pull at her. She searched for the abusive husband again but she couldn’t locate him. He didn’t beat up his wife this night. She scanned for someone to take a bit of energy from, for a few minutes but no one felt deserving of being drained. Caroline pulled herself together and tried to stand.  
It was like being drunk, she swayed a bit on her feet. She could handle being drunk. Did it before.  
She slowly started to walk home. The world was spinning and she had to steady herself against the brick walls multiple times. It wasn’t too far anymore. That’s when she heard it, heavy footsteps following her. Crap. She tried to pull on his energy but nothing happened. She was too worn out.  
Caroline attempted to quicken her pace, which wasn’t easy at all.  
She crossed a dark ally and two strong and brute arms yanked her into it. She screamed for a second before his dirty hand covered her mouth.  
“Sshhh pretty lady. No need to scream.” A man with a beard and hard eyes looked at her smiling. The man who was following her joined him. He looked like he had recently taken a beating with his broken nose.  
“Don’t you know these streets are dangerous?” he chuckled.  
Caroline tried to struggle, to get away but she was too tired her limbs were to numb.  
“No need to struggle dear. Wouldn’t do you any good, you’ve been drinking, no?”  
Caroline tried to struggle again, harder this time, lashing out at his face.  
“Hey, hey, hey. Calm down.” Something flashed in front of her eyes. A knife. She felt the blade press into her skin, just beneath her jawline.  
“Ssshhh, we just want some fun, we don’t have to hurt you if you behave.”  
The other guy started grinning sickly. He looked at her with a hunger that made her want to puke.  
“Now love, if you scream I will cut you. And it will hurt.” He lifted his hand from her mouth.  
Caroline tried desperately to pull his energy into her but she couldn’t. A tear of frustration rolled down her cheek.  
“Good girl.”  
There was some distance between them now so Caroline tried to squirm away.  
“Tut, tut, tut.” She felt how the knife bite into her as he drew it across her neck. She tried to heal, but nothing happened and the pain stayed present. Blood trickled down.  
Suddenly the other guy’s hands were on her. On her waist, underneath her shirt going op. She jerked away and screamed. The first guy hit her hard in her face.  
“Shut it!” and with that he too had his hands on her. She started sobbing, trying her powers over and over again.  
“Enough!” The other guy said.  
“Let’s just try her and give her to Vladimir, he still needs a shipment.” Caroline saw to her horror how he started unbuckling his belt. No, no, no, …  
The first guy turned her roughly around so her front was pressed against the wall and he reached for her pants.  
A yelp sounded and then a loud crash.  
“What the…” suddenly the hands were gone and she fell to her knees.  
The sounds of struggle sounded behind her but she kept her face towards the wall. How pathetic, she had powers, amazing powers but she couldn’t use them when she was in danger. Caroline started sobbing again.  
Suddenly someone touched her shoulder and she jerked away.  
“Get away from me!” she screamed. She finally turned and started crawling backwards.  
“I’m sorry.” She looked up, to who had tried to touch her. And her heart stopped. The masked man.  
He was crouching in front of her.  
“Are you alright?” She nodded.  
“Did they…?” Caroline shook her head and looked down at the ground.  
“You got here in time.” The masked man sighed, he looked relieved?  
“Thank you.” She whispered.  
“The police are on their way, you need to make a statement.” Caroline nodded. The masked man stood and went to leave.  
“Stay.” He turned. “Please, until the police is here? I don’t want to…” Her voice trailed off.  
“They’re here.” The masked man said. He started running and climbed the walls of the ally using the dumpsters, staircases and ledges. Once he was on the roof the police pulled up. He saw how Caroline was still watching him, curled up in ball and he started running home. From rooftop to rooftop.  
Matt was home just in time to hear his phone ringing.  
“Matt.”  
“Matt… it’s Caroline. Could you come to the precinct, I…” Caroline started sobbing again.  
Matt formed a fist with his free hand, his knuckles whitened because of it.  
“Caroline, of course I’ll be there. What happened?”  
“I…I’ll explain when you’re here.”  
“I’m coming.” The call disconnected.  
She had sounded so broken. Matt took a glass that was standing on the coffee table and flung it across the room. Damn it!  
He had found Caroline in front of the hospital again, healing people all around her. When she was done, she was so exhausted he thought she would barely be able to stand. But she had stayed on the bench. And he had heard how someone was being mugged behind the hospital, it was just one guy, it didn’t even take that long. But by the time he was back Caroline was gone and she was in no state to be walking alone. Matt didn’t know her address so he went from rooftop to rooftop, searching for her until he heard her scream. And he heard what they were trying to do to her. He barely made it in time. Damn it! Matt quickly changed his clothes and took a cab to the precinct.  
Officer Mahoney greeted him.  
“Are you on the case?” Matt asked.  
“Yeah.” A wash of relief went through Matt, they wouldn’t get away. He was an honest cop.  
“I understand she works for you?”  
“She does.”  
“Look, she’s pretty shaken up. Don’t go all lawyer on her. Not right away anyway.”  
Matt knew that, but he didn’t that he did.  
“What happened? She wouldn’t tell on the phone.”  
“Two guys cornered her and assaulted her. When they tried to take it to the next level a masked man beat the shit out of them. And I mean really beat the shit out of them, their faces will never be the same.” Brett told him.   
“Good.”   
“Lucky he came when he did. She heard them talking about Vladimir and a shipment.”  
Matt jerked his head up, the Russians. They were going to…  
“Vladimir, isn’t that the head of the Russian mob?” Matt asked with feigned curiosity.  
“Yes, again she was lucky the masked guy arrived when he did.  
Caroline. Good sweet innocent Caroline. Who can heal people and drains herself to do so. And they tried to get her into human trafficking? Maybe another visit to them wouldn’t hurt. They still had some spots he didn’t hit and he still needed to know where they’re holding the boy he heard getting kidnapped.   
“Well she’s in there.” Brett guided him to a door.

She had no more tears left, cried them all out. What a lousy hero she was. Couldn’t even use her powers and now she breaks down when bad guys hurt her? Pathetic.  
Get over it Caroline, you need to tuff up.   
She hadn’t used her powers since. She didn’t want to heal, it was proof against those bastards. But she was also afraid. What if she had given to much of herself and her powers were gone?  
“Caroline?”  
She hadn’t noticed the door opening. Matt was standing in the doorway a bit uneasy.  
“Matt, you came.”  
Matt entered the room and closed the door behind him.  
“Of course, I came.”  
“I’m sorry to disturb you, I know you’re my boss and all, but you Foggy and Karen are the only people I know here.”  
Matt stretched out his arms to find her chair, he touched her lightly, found the arm of the chair and crouched beside it.  
“Caroline, we know that we’re supposed to be you bosses but I think that, and I’m not only speaking for myself but Foggy as well, we see you more than a friend then an employee. You can always count on us Caroline.” Matt said softly, he reached out for her hand, ready for it to be yanked away, but she let him take it in his. He softly rubbed it with his thumb.  
She enjoyed the feeling, glad she wasn’t repulsed by it. Did he mean that? Were they friends, she could never tell with him.  
“Matt, could I…” her voice faltered.  
“What, Caroline? Tell me.”  
She let out a shaky sigh.  
“It’s ridiculous, but could you… may I see your eyes?”  
Matt was taken a back a bit by the request. He always wore the glasses because most people found it unsettling that his eyes couldn’t focus on anything. But thinking about it he realized that she never saw him without them. Without hesitation, he raised his free hand and took his glasses off. Matt raised his chin so she could see his eyes.  
Caroline look down at Matt and finally saw his eyes. They where pointed to where her shoulder was.  
They were brown, a dark but soft brown, they made her think about tree’s and the woods. Even though his didn’t grant his sight, they were still capable of showing emotion. And she saw concern in them and care. He cared, and she believed him now. They were friends not only boss and employee, but friends. Caroline smiled, for the first time that night.  
“Thank you, your eyes are beautiful.” She whispered.  
“Most people find them unsettling.” He answered.  
“I don’t, they are a part of you Matt.”  
He nodded. His knees started to ache a bit from the long crouching but he didn’t care. He needed to be there for her.  
“Did the cop tell you what happened?” Caroline suddenly whispered.  
Matt nodded. He sensed how a tear parted from her eyes.  
“Matt, I was so scared.” He slowly reached out his arms, hovering, letting her know it was okay to reject them. But she didn’t, she reached out hers and left her chair to hug him. They both stood up and Caroline buried her head in his chest. Breathing in his scent, rain and something sweet, lime.  
She shuddered and sighed. In this moment, she felt safe.   
He slowly started stroking her back, again awaiting rejection and again it didn’t come.  
“I hope he got them good.” She muttered against his chest.  
“Officer Mahoney told me their faces will never be the same.”  
“Good.”  
Matt felt satisfied, that had done that for her. That she felt comfort in the result of his rage. Now they were so close her smell started overtake him again, the apples and coconut but his blood boiled because he could smell their scent to. Their dirt, their evil on something pure. He wanted to beat them to a pulp all over again. But instead he comforted her, because that’s what she needed.  
They stood there for a while Caroline felt herself calm down, and Matt could hear it.  
Suddenly the sound of knocking echoed through the room. Matt and Caroline jumped and let each other go. Foggy stuck his head in.  
“Can we come in?”   
Caroline nodded and saw how Matt put his glasses back on. Too bad, she liked his eyes.  
Karen practically burst through the door and started hugging her.   
“Are you alright?” Caroline hugged her back a bit but broke away from the hug rather quickly.  
“I’m fine now, thanks to the masked man.”  
Karen’s eyes grew wide.  
“He saved you, again?”  
“I guess I’m lucky danger finds me when he’s in the neighborhood.” Caroline smiled.  
Foggy put a hand on her shoulder. She saw the same concern she had seen in Matt’s eyes and she knew he was right about Foggy to. They were friends.  
“You sure you’re okay? Do you need anything?”  
“With you guys here, I have everything I need.” Caroline smiled.  
“Although I could use a shot of bourbon.”  
Foggy chuckled and Karen smiled at her. Matt looked a bit surprised.  
Someone else knocked on the door and entered. It was officer Mahoney.  
“We have admitted your statement, I’m guessing Nelson and Murdock will represent you?”  
“We will.” Matt said.  
Brett hesitated and looked a bit angry.  
“We have to inform you though that one of the assailants woke up while being transported to the hospital. Upon arriving he overpowered a nurse and got away.”  
Caroline felt ice wrapping around her heart.  
“He got away?”  
“I’m sorry, we’re doing everything we can to find him. The other one is in the hospital, heavily guarded.”  
Foggy and Karen looked at her with concern in their eyes.  
“Caroline?”  
The room was spinning again and she reached for the chair. She gripped it tightly, which made her hands go white. Matt could feel how her heart sped up and her breathing quickened. He took a few steps and stood by her side. Shoulder to shoulder.  
“Caroline, they will find him.”  
She shook her head and a few teardrops fell to the floor. Matt lowered his voice.  
“The masked man won’t be happy one of them got away. Don’t you think he will chase him down?”  
Caroline blinked.  
“Besides, I doubt he knew who you are. You’re safe Caroline.” Matt hesitated.  
“If you want, you can stay at my place until he’s caught.”  
While speaking, he noticed how her heartbeat slowed down again and her breathing evened out.  
Caroline shook her head again.  
“That’s okay Matt. That could take a while, but thank you for the offer.”  
Matt nodded. “If you change your mind, just let me know okay?”  
“Okay.”  
Caroline faced the group in the room again and everyone looked concerned.   
“I’ll be fine. It just took me by surprise a bit.”  
“Officer Mahoney, do you still need her?” Matt asked.  
“No, but I’ll contact you if we have follow up questions.”  
“Good, then I’d like to take her home now.”  
Matt hooked his arm through hers and softly guided her out of the precinct, Karen and Foggy following.  
“I’ll walk you home Caroline.”  
“Actually, could we take a cab? I’m pretty tired.”  
“Whatever you need.”  
Foggy signaled for a cab and it stopped in front of them.  
“Take care of yourself okay?” Karen said, hugging her again.  
Foggy nodded. “If you need anything let us know.”  
“Thank you, guys.”  
Matt and Caroline entered the cab.  
“I’ll drive with you.”  
“Okay.” Caroline named the address to the driver and Matt made a mental note of it. It wasn’t that far from his place. He reached for her hand again and rubbed it with his thumb. The whole ride they sat in silence. Caroline didn’t mind, silence was what she needed right now.  
“There we are miss.”  
Caroline grabbed her purse but Matt stopped her.  
“I’ll pay him when he drops me of at home.”   
“Okay.”  
“Caroline, maybe you should stay home tomorrow…”  
“Oh, please don’t. I want to work, I love working with you guys. Besides, sitting at home won’t help anybody.”  
Matt smiled at her. “You’re right. Well see you tomorrow then.”  
“I’ll see you tomorrow.”  
Caroline got out the cab and closed the door. When the car went out of sight she turned and entered her building. When in the elevator, she took out her phone and saw multiple missed calls.  
All from ‘Dick’. She chuckled as the elevator doors opened.  
While calling him back she opened her front door, to find three people already in her apartment.  
Two agents who directed their guns immediately at her. And a young man in her sofa, bleeding in several places.  
She disconnected the call and raised her hands immediately dropping her keys.  
“It’s her guys, ease up on the guns.” The young man said.  
The two agents lowered their weapons and Caroline closed her door.  
She approached the man in the sofa cautiously. He had short light brown/ blond hair, blue eyes, twice as buff as Matt is and a freaking mess.  
Cuts and bruises all over, broken leg, broken arm.  
“Shit!”  
“You can say that again. I was told you could help me?” Caroline looked at his baby blues again and it struck her, who he was.  
“Oh, god you’re Steven Rogers, Captain America.”  
Steven chuckled.  
“First of all, thank you by saying my name and not just Captain America. Secondly yeah that’s me.”  
“Oh, wow Stark meant it that you guys would be needing me.”  
“Yeah kinda.” Steven grunted. “Well, could you help? Please, this hurts quite a lot.”  
Caroline took a step back. “I…”  
Steven looked up at her, his eyes trailed the bruise on her face and the cuts in her neck.  
“What happened?”  
Caroline’s face flushed. Great now the Avengers will know how week she is. She gritted her teeth.  
“Don’t worry, I won’t tell Stark.” She considered lying but she was too tired to find a good lie.  
“I… I got assaulted a few hours ago.”   
Stevens eyes grew.  
“Well shit, are you okay.”  
Caroline shrugged it off.  
“The vigilante that’s active here saved me in the nick of time. Before they could…”  
“Wait, vigilante? Couldn’t you, … I mean I heard what happened in your hometown.”  
“I had been training right before, pushed myself a bit too hard. My powers were gone.”  
Steven studied her for a while.  
“If you want I can go. You look like you need some rest.”  
Caroline smiled at him.  
“That’s really sweet, but no offence you look ten times worse than me.”  
Steve chuckled and then winced.  
Caroline sighed and went to sit on her knees in front of him.  
“I can try but a few hours ago, I was exhausted and couldn’t do a thing.”  
She eyed the agents and got an idea.  
“Would you guys mind helping me?” They looked a bit startled.  
“I just need some energy, but I like having permission before taking it.”  
The agents nodded silently and Caroline threw her grid out, the damages Steven had, took her breath away.   
“Damn, they really got you good.” Caroline muttered and guided some energy from the agents into her. She instantly felt rejuvenated.  
“Okay let’s do this.”  
First things first, she took his pain into herself. She could hear his sigh of relief. Then she started fixing his organs internally. It felt good to completely heal someone, not holding back. When she felt like the damage to his organs was fixed she moved on to setting bones and fixing them. Finally, she started knitting his flesh back together and clearing up his bruises.  
She went over him thoroughly but didn’t find anything anymore. He was healthy again.  
“There you go.” Caroline hands shook a bit but she refused to take more energy from the agents. A good night’s sleep was all she needed.  
Steven stood and flexed his muscles and limbs.  
“Wow you really are a miracle worker.”   
Caroline laughed softly at that.  
“Hey you didn’t fix yourself.” She didn’t? Caroline touched her bruise and it was still painful. Thank god for that. It would have been difficult to explain.  
“Nah these will have to heal on their own. Too many people saw them. It would be suspicious.”  
“Well thank you, for your help.”  
“No problem.”  
The agents started escorting Steve towards the roof access. They probably had a helicopter up there.  
“Hey, Caroline.” Steve turned towards her.  
“Hang in there. We’re doing this for the people. The good of mankind. I know Stark can be an ass. But he means well. Most of the time anyway.” Steve smirked.  
Caroline nodded and they disappeared through the door closing it behind them.


	4. Cut Man

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fanfic will losely follow the main storyline. Various changes may be made.  
> This is my first fanfic so tips and feedback will be appreciated.  
> I'm sorry, English is not my main language so there will most likely be some errors.
> 
> So this was my first attempt to really follow the main plot and inserting my version in it. I hope it turned out okay. :)
> 
> Special thanks to http://www.springfieldspringfield.co.uk  
> They have the scrips of every episode. Saved me the time of rewatching it and writing everything down they said.

Dying. It felt like dying, which it probably was. He could feel every wound in detail and knew he wasn’t going to make it.  
He failed, couldn’t save the kid. Walked right into their trap. Idiot.  
That’s what you get when you get cocky.  
The pain was slowly fading, which he knew was not a good sign. Not at all. This is it.   
Foggy will be devastated, Karen will shed tears for the kind lawyer who helped her. Caroline. Sweet good Caroline. She will know, she will connect the dots, faster than the rest.  
He pulled up her being in his mind. Her smell, the way she made the air move. Her energy. Matt felt a tear escaping from his eye. Before the darkness took him.

Hard floor, hands fluttering above him. Touching his wounds.  
“Shit!”  
The tune of a cellphone being unlocked, tree sounds.  
Matt lifted his arm and grabbed the arm with the cellphone.  
“No, no calls.” Matt winced.  
“It’s okay.” A woman’s voice sounded. She was sitting next to him. “I’m just trying to help.”  
“No”  
“We have to get you to the hospital.”  
“They’ll kill everyone.”  
“Who?”  
“The men who did this. They’ll kill everyone in the hospital to get to me.” Matt grunted while trying to stand but he ached all over.  
“Okay, hey, you can’t… Don’t…” The woman tried to stop him getting up, but he was already standing.  
“You’ve lost a lot of blood, I think you might have been stabbed.”  
“I have to leave.” Matt’s senses where blurry. The pain claimed all his attention. He just picked a direction hoping it was the right one and started walking, which was a bitch.  
“You wanna leave? The door’s that way.” She signaled the direction with her head.  
Matt grunted and followed that direction after a few steps he felt the blackness creeping back in and fell into it.

Not the hard floor anymore. Sofa. The pain was still there but numbed.  
Matt opened his eyes and grunted.  
“Are you gonna listen to me this time?”  
“Where am I?” Matt felt slightly better, just slightly. He could feel his surroundings but didn’t recognize them.  
“You’re in my apartment.”  
He recognized the voice from before, but didn’t know her.  
“Who are you?”  
“I’m the lucky girl who pulled you out of the garbage.”  
Matt realized he didn’t feel his mask anymore. He raised his hands to feel his face. The mask was gone.  
“You’ve seen my face.”   
“Yeah.”  
“Great.” Matt grunted. Fantastic. Luckily, she doesn’t know him as Matthew, or he hopes.  
“Your outfit sucks, by the way.”  
Matt sighed.  
“Yeah, it’s a work in progress.” He grunted while trying to pull himself upright.  
“Okay, I really wouldn’t try to move too much. You’ve got two or three broken ribs, probable concussion, some kind off puncture wound and that’s just the stuff I know about.”   
She raised and dropped her hands, irritated.  
“And your eyes, they’re nonresponsive to light, which isn’t freaking you the hell out, so either you’re blind or in way worse shape than I thought.”  
“Do I have to pick one?” Matt said smiling.  
“Do you mind telling me how a blind man in a mask ends up half to death in my dumpster?”  
The woman scolded.  
“The less you know about me the better.” Matt tried to get up again and winced.  
“The wound on your side, knife?”  
“Probably.”  
“Argh!” she scolded again.  
“I think I got the bleeding stopped, but I can’t tell how bad it is internally without a series of X-rays, so….”  
“No.” Matt groaned. “No hospitals.”  
“This is my night off. I'm really not looking for some guy to die on my couch.” She said desperately.  
“Are you a doctor?”   
“Something like that.” Matt was growing suspicious of this lady. How much sheer luck can a man have to have landed at the doorstep of some doctor. Or something like that.  
“Most people, they find a bleeding masked man in the garbage they call the police.”  
“You got a lot of experience in this area?”  
“Why are you helping me?” Matt demanded.   
“The less you know about me, the better.” She retorted using his own words against him.  
“Ah. You got a name at least?” Matt asked.  
“Claire. Don't suppose I get to know yours?”  
Matt smiled apologetically.  
“All right, I'll call you Mike.”  
“Mike?” Matt asked.  
“Yeah, a guy I used to date. Turns out he was very good at keeping secrets, too.”   
“Thank you, Claire.”  
“Rest. Make sure you're stabilized. We'll figure the other stuff out later.”

Matt awoke with a shock. He felt a pressure on his chest and couldn’t breathe. Gasping for air he tried to sit upright but pain stopped him.  
He sensed Claire rushing over to him.  
“What is it? What's wrong?”  
“I … can't … breathe.” Matt gasped while desperately gasping for air. “Can't…”  
He felt the stethoscope touching his chest and Clair rummaging through her bag.  
“You've got air in your chest. It's collapsing your lung.”  
She had something in her hands now Matt couldn’t sense what it was.  
“I'm gonna relieve the pressure, but I'm gonna need you to hold still, okay?”  
Matt felt her touch his chest with her fingers. Measuring.  
“Here we go. This is going to hurt.”  
A needle pierced his skin. It stung but he had had worse, like right now, all over. Claire opened the top and the pressure on his chest left. Matt took big gasps of air.  
“Good. Just breathe normal.” The air never felt so good.  
“All right.” Claire pulled out the needle.  
“Look let's just say for the sake of discussion I buy this whole, ‘We can't go to the hospital because whatever’ story you've got going on. But we need to talk about what happens if you give up the ghost here in my living room. Because I'm listening to myself explain to the police how I let this happen, and every version ends with me in handcuffs, so convince me it's worth it.”  
Matt fell silent, she was right. Continuing to take care of him would put her at risk. But he was in no state whatsoever to leave right now.  
Caroline.  
Matt grunted. He didn’t want to involve her, but her involvement would be far smaller and shorter than Claire’s if he stayed here. And he needs his full strength to rescue the boy, which Caroline could provide.  
“Shit.”  
“What?” Claire said.  
“You’re right, me being here is not a good idea.”  
“Thank you!”  
“The hospital, isn’t an option.” Matt quickly said. “I know how to solve this but it requires involving someone I had hoped to keep out of this.” He sighs.  
“Here’s what you have to do.”

Her phone was ringing.  
Caroline grunted awakened from her dreamless slumber. Her finally dreamless slumber. It had been three days since the incident. Every night she woke screaming, after hours of tossing and turning. Yesterday she went to a pharmacy for sleeping pills. They had worked like a charm.   
She reached for her phone.  
“Caroline.” She said groggy.  
“Hi, you don’t know me but someone is really badly hurt and needs your help. He says he knows you.”  
Caroline raises her eyebrows.  
“Who is this?”  
“My name is Claire… What?” The woman got distracted by something on her end.  
“He says you know him as the masked man? He did you a solid once.”  
Caroline jerked up, immediately awake.  
“How bad is it?” She asked.   
“Really bad, he needs a hospital but won’t go. I don’t know what you could do …”  
“What’s the address?” Caroline interrupted her. She scribbled it on a note and hung up.  
She got dressed as quickly as possible and took a cab to the address. On the way over she had some doubts. What if this was a trap? How did he even know how to reach her, who she was? Her heart sped up. Could she walk away, knowing he could be needing her? She thought of his selfless acts each day and decided the risk was worth it.  
The ride didn’t take long, when she found the apartment she knocked on the door.  
A southern woman opened the door.  
“Are you Claire?”  
“That’s me, you must be Caroline.”  
“Yes.”  
“Come in.”  
Caroline entered the ill lit apartment. She saw traces of blood on the floor everywhere. Someone grunted from the sofa and there he was. The masked man. Bloodied and in pain.  
“You look like shit.” She said.  
Matt chuckled. There she was. It didn’t take her any longer than 15 minutes to get here. She had literally jumped out of bed for him. She was pure good. He thanked god again for her. He had prepared Claire for her arrival. Asked his mask back and pleaded with her not to mention his blindness to her. She would immediately connect the dots. Claire had sworn not to say anything. He had no choice to believe her.  
“Yeah, it feels like shit too.”   
Caroline threw out her grid and winced at his injuries.  
“How are you alive right now?” She gasped.  
“Because I dragged his sorry ass out of a dumpster and patched him up as good as I could.” Claire said.  
“But he refuses to go to a hospital regardless of his injuries. He swore you could help but I don’t know how…”  
“She can.” The masked man said. “She did it before, right? What I felt that night in the rain, that was you, yes?”  
Caroline nodded. She kneeled next to him.  
Before she could do anything, he grabbed her arm.  
“Thank you, Caroline. You didn’t have to, you barely know me but here you are. In the middle of the night coming over to a stranger’s house.”   
“It’s the least I could do. You saved my ass twice in a week. If you hadn’t…” Caroline choked.   
“You don’t need to be out, risking your ass to save people either. But you do it and I’ll be eternally thankful. This is the least I can do.”  
“I still don’t get what you can do.” Said Claire approaching the sofa and watching the scenario with doubt on her face. Caroline looked at her and realized she will be witnessing her powers.  
“Listen what you’re about to see here, I’d appreciate you didn’t tell anyone. Last time… It got out of hand and I had to run. I don’t want to leave this place.”  
Claire threw up her hands in frustration.  
“Fine, fine I’ll keep both of your secrets.”  
“Okay, here we go.” Caroline focused on the man before her. Matt let go of her arm and he saw how she closed her eyes. Almost instantly he saw the energies flowing between them. Some flowing to her and some flowing to him. And with that his pain was gone. Curiosity overtook him and he lifted his shirt. Claire watched as well. The cuts slowly knitted together. The flesh approached again and melted together as if nothing ever was there. Not even a scar was a witness for the damage that had been there. Claire gasped.  
It took a moment but he felt movements inside his body too, ribs popping back into place, wounds closing up. All together it took 10 minutes and he felt as new.  
Caroline sighed and open her eyes.   
“There were older bruises as well. Closed them up to, I don’t think you mind.”  
“Wha…” Claire took a few paces back. She looked at Caroline with big eyes.  
“You… It’s because of you.” Caroline looked confused at Claire.  
“At the hospital, everyone is talking about it. People that should be dying suddenly get better. Cancer disappears all over the hospital.” Caroline started blushing. Matt looked at her with new amazement.  
“We thought it was a lucky streak but it’s you, isn’t it?”  
Caroline nodded while biting her lip.  
“I’ve been visiting the hospital every night, to train myself a bit. To control it better. I thought I was being smart by not healing them completely. Guess you guys picked up on it anyway… Shit.”  
She leaned back, people starting to notice. That’s how it started last time.  
“Don’t worry nobody thinks it’s a person.” Claire reassured her.  
The masked man stood up and stretched his limbs and muscles in a similar way Steve had done.  
He crouched next to Caroline.  
“Why don’t you want anyone to know?”  
She looked at the man. His scarf covered his eyes.  
“Why won’t you show your face?” She retorted.   
“What I do… There are people, dangerous people would hurt the ones I care about to get to me.” He answered. She nodded in acknowledgement and hesitated.  
“My hometown…” Caroline swallowed. “They knew, it got out of hand, which backlashed to my family.” She sighed trembling.  
“This thing, whatever it is, it goes both ways. I can make people healthy but I can make them sick too. When I panic, it’s hard to control… It didn’t end well and I had to flee let’s leave it at that.”  
The masked man wanted to say something but abruptly closed his mouth and tilted his head.  
“Shit!” He stood quickly.  
“What it is?” Claire said.  
“Someone’s coming.”  
“Wait what?” the two women looked at each other with big eyes.  
“There’s someone in the building, a man, going from door to door.”  
“How do you know that?”  
“Shh.” He tilted his head again.  
“He’s on the third floor already. Smells like prima cigarettes and discount cologne.” Matt moved to the door, he couldn’t let them be hurt.  
“You can smell a guy from the third floor?” Caroline whispered. He had powers too?  
“You’ll smell him soon enough, he really likes that cologne.” The masked man chuckled.  
Both Caroline and Claire looked at him with big eyes.  
“You’re both looking at me like I’m crazy. Seems the appropriate response.”  
Caroline widened her grid, if he smoked… Sure enough she sensed him too. Not the cologne or anything, but his lungs didn’t look too good. He had to be smoking since a young age.  
“I sense him too.” Caroline whispered.  
Claire and the masked man looked at her with surprise.  
“I can’t sense the shit you just summed up, but his lungs are fucked up. Probably been smoking those Prima cigarettes since puberty.”  
“Who are you people!” Claire asked, backing away a bit.  
“Just two people who want to do right by this world, this city.”  
“Right.”  
“He’s at your neighbor’s door.”  
“You kidding me?”  
The masked man’s muscles tensed and he took a fighting stance at the door.  
“Hey! What do you think you’re doing?” Claire asked.  
“He’s not a friend Claire. You know in what state you found me.”  
“Wait! Don’t do this.” She jumped in front of him. “Not in my home.”  
She looked at Caroline. “Can’t you knock him out cold from a distance or something?”   
Caroline turned pale at the thought of that side of her powers, the for now uncontrollable part.  
“I can tire him. I… can’t control the other stuff, not yet, I don’t know when I go to far.”  
“Okay, nobody has to get hurt. You two, just stand over there on the side and be quiet and I’ll get rid of him.”  
Someone banged on the door and Caroline jerked. She quickly stood up.  
“Please.” Claire pleaded with the masked man.   
Matt hesitated, if it came to fight all the man had to do was grab one of the women and he was overpowered. He can’t let them get hurt. He nodded and took Caroline by the arm pulling her around the corner. Out of sight of the front door.  
“Who is it?!”  
“NYPD, ma’am. Please open the door.”  
Claire quickly got rid of her gloves and other medical equipment.   
“I’ll be right there.” She checked a final time if the blood was in sight and then turned to open the door.  
“Sorry to bother you so late, ma’am.” Matt could sense he showed something to Clair, probably a badge.  
“My name is Detective Foster, with the 65th Precinct. We had a bit of a disturbance a few blocks from here. We're asking everyone if they've seen or heard anything unusual in the past few hours.” “What kind of disturbance?” Claire faked interest.  
“Armed robbery. Some dickhead in a black mask shot up a bodega on 38th. Owner put up a fight. Perp fled on foot, leaving a trail of blood in this direction.”  
“Oh, my God.” Matt could hear the feigned chock. Not really convincing, he listened to the man’s heartbeat, ready to step in at the sign of an impending attack.  
“Probably long gone by now, but just in case, you know. You see anything, hear anything tonight?” “No sorry.” Claire’s heartbeat sped up at the lie.  
“Just being thorough. You have a good night, ma'am.” His sped up too, Matt kept listening.   
“Thanks. You, too.” Claire closed the door. The man’s heartbeat was going through the roof.   
“See? No reason to get all fighty. Boy, were you right about that cologne.” She waved her hand in front of her face.   
“What, does he dip himself in that crap?” Matt didn’t pay any attention to her, he was listening to the man. Who didn’t continue to the next apartment but started running down the stairs instead.  
“He didn't believe you.” Matt grunted while running to the door.   
“Mike!” Caroline looked up at that, his name was Mike? They followed him outside. He grabbed a fire extinguisher and held it over the railing of the stairs, with his finger on the release trigger.  
“What are you doing?” Claire whispered.  
Caroline saw the hand of the man nearing the end of the stairs while talking gibberish on a phone. Her stomach turned, she knew exactly what he was doing. The moment the man reached the end and started to cross the patch of floor beneath them he pulled the trigger. The extinguisher fell and landed on the man’s head with a sickening crack.  
“What do we do now?” Claire whispered.   
“There's someone else, one floor up, watching us.” Caroline didn’t sense him. He must be healthy.  
“Oh, no. He's young. He's scared.” Claire took a step forward and looked up.   
“Santino?” She turned back at them.   
“He's the one who found you in the alley.” The masked man grunted.  
“He's seen my face, too?”   
“Yeah.” They had seen his face? Caroline looked with big eyes at Claire. She felt a stab of jealousy at the fact he had covered his face again for her arrival.   
“Claire, go upstairs and calm him down. When he’s calmed down come back and meet us downstairs. We're gonna need help carrying Detective Foster to the roof.”  
“Wait what? We’re going to do what?” Caroline said.  
“What the hell are we going to the roof for?” Claire asked.   
“Less chance of someone in the building hearing him scream.” The masked man said.  
“We’re gonna torture the guy?” Claire exclaimed. she took a few steps back. She knew he could be rough but this…  
Matt sensed their reluctance and sighed.   
“They kidnapped a boy.”   
“Who did?”   
“The Russians. They've been running a human trafficking ring out of Hell's Kitchen. Took over when the Italians folded up.”  
Caroline gasped and her stomach turned. That gibberish on the phone, the name in her nightmares.  
“Vladimir.” She whispered, tears welled up in her eyes.  
“That’s what they meant, isn’t it? When they said the where going to give me to Vladimir? For the shipment.” The masked man turned in her direction. He opened his mouth and then closed it again. He nodded.  
Caroline tasted bile in the back of her throat and the tears started flowing.  
“Oh, my god, they were going to sell me.” She trembled with anger.   
“He saved you from that?” Claire asked and Caroline nodded.  
“Two days ago, they pulled a kid out of the back of a van. Beat his father while he watched.” Matt continued. Not wanting to elaborate, not wanting to have to explain what that would have meant. He didn’t want her to find this shit out. This is fucked up.  
“Jesus.” Claire said.  
“I knew the kid would still be alive. At least until they took him out of the city. I tracked the Russians to a warehouse not far from here. Thought I was being smart, how fast I found them. Turns out, I wasn't.”   
“They were waiting for you.”   
“And I walked right into it.” Matt banged his hand against the wall.  
“So, they took this kid just to get to you?”   
“Yeah, I've been making their lives difficult lately.” Caroline looked at him, the reluctance from before had evaporated. Her hands itched to torture the guy herself.  
“But you're…” Matt jerked his head in Claire’s direction. She swallowed her question. Caroline didn’t notice, she was looking with disgust at the man at the bottom of the stairs. Her blood boiling.   
“This is what you do? You make life difficult for bad men?” Claire asked.  
“It's one way of putting it.” Matt chuckled.  
“No offense, but you don't seem to be very good at it.”   
“Ow! Yeah, well, you're catching me on an off night.” He retorted.   
“Did you at least find the kid?”   
“No, he wasn't there. I barely made it out myself. I was careless. Stupid.” Matt balled his fists.  
“That’s why I need you to calm that kid upstairs down and help us getting this worthless piece of shit up on the roof. I’ve got to find that kid.”  
“Okay. Okay. I’m going.” Claire ran up the stairs.  
Matt turned towards Caroline.  
“Are you okay?” Caroline looked at him.  
“Did you know? Did you know from the start?” She asked.  
“I knew they were Russians. It didn’t feel right… So, I followed you to the police office and took a glance at your statement. That’s when I pieced it together.” Matt lied. Well partially, most was the truth.  
“That’s how you knew how to find me too, I figure.” That did explain that issue, didn’t it? He had been wondering how to explain how he found her.  
“Yes, your contact number was in the statement.” Matt hesitated.  
“I never intended to actually use it. Drag you into this mess. But I knew what you can do and I figured…”  
“It’s okay.” Caroline said. “I’m glad you did. I got to pay you back for a debt that is much bigger than I initially thought.” There was a moment of silence. Caroline coughed.  
“So, they saw your face…”  
“A mistake, not one I’m willing to repeat.” She couldn’t help but feel hurt a bit at that.  
“Oh, okay.”  
“This is dangerous enough as it is. The more you know about me the more danger you’re in.”  
“I understand.”

Claire didn’t take too long calming the kid down. After a lot of maneuvering and cursing they finally got him up on the roof. Matt used rope to ty him up to a water silo. Claire searched him and inspected his injuries. Caroline could have looked him over and told her his condition but she thought it was something Claire would want to do herself and she had been right. Caroline looked at the phone the man was using and tried to find a contact list but the fire extinguisher had smashed it.   
“You find anything?”   
“You smashed the hell out of it with that extinguisher.” Caroline said and waved with the cellphone to show it was dead. The masked man paid no attention to it. Claire was walking nervously from one side to the other. Clearly feeling uncomfortable. Something was on her mind.  
“He had a badge.” She exclaimed suddenly.  
“Yeah, like that means anything anymore in this city.” Caroline muttered, thinking of Karen and the attempt on her life.  
“What if you're wrong?” Claire continued.  
“I'm not.” Matt answered hearing how Claire’s heartbeat sped up.  
“This is way past what I signed up for.”   
“What exactly did you think that was?” Matt asked.   
“I found a man who needed help, so I helped him.”   
“Oh, yeah? That simple?” Claire moved across the roof to get closer to him.  
“Do you really want to get into this in front of him?” Claire whispered. She didn’t have to, Caroline sensed the man was out cold.  
“He's out.” The masked man said. So he can sense that too huh?  
“Maybe he's faking.” He tilted his head.  
“He's not.”  
“He’s right.” Caroline added.   
“Okay, that right there, that's what I'm talking about. Okay, I find a guy in a dumpster who turns out to be some kind of vigilante who can do all of this really weird shit like smell cologne through walls and sense whether someone's unconscious or faking it.” Claire said franticly.   
“Then his sidekick shows up and heals him, like nothing happened. But before that he can take an unbelievable amount of punishment without one damn complaint.”   
“The last part's the Catholicism.” Matt chuckled.   
“So, what? I'm supposed to take it on faith I'm on the right side of this?” She looked with big eyes at Caroline. She shrugged.  
“I’ve been on the wrong side of this two times this week. Trust me it’s not a pleasant place to be.” She told Claire.  
“You don't carry a masked man bleeding to death into your apartment on faith. You knew which side you were on the moment you found me.” Matt intervened.   
“Why'd you help me, Claire?”   
Claire looked from the vigilante to Caroline, looking a bit cornered.  
“As you guys probably figured I work the ER at Metro-General. I'm a nurse. A few weeks ago, cops bring in three men. Said they were robbing tourists, beating them up pretty bad. Apparently, a man in a black mask took issue with their activities and decided to step in. I counted nine broken bones between them. A few days after that, EMTs bring in a 19-year-old waitress, said some guy she knew waited for her after work in the parking lot, attacked her tried to drag her in the alley. She said she screamed and screamed, and a man in a black mask heard her and he saved her life.” Claire said. Caroline looked at the vigilante before her. He had been busy.   
“So, yeah, word's getting around. And I want to believe in what you're doing. I really do. But this?” Claire looked at the guy who was strung up.   
“I know you're afraid. You can't give in to the fear. If you do men like this win.” The masked man countered.  
“Claire, think of that little boy.” Caroline whispered. “They are going to sell him to do god knows what for the rest of his life. That scum over there can tell us where he is but he won’t do it out of the good of his heart.” Silence filled the rooftop for a few moments. Claire finally looked at her and nodded.  
“He’s waking up. Cover your faces.” The masked man said.  
Claire had ripped up a T-Shirt to cover their faces for when he woke up. They tied them around their faces now. True to his word the guy started waking up not long after. He grunted and looked around. His eyes widened at the sight of the vigilante with two masked persona’s behind him.  
“Here's how this is gonna work. I'm going to ask you some questions. You're gonna answer them. If you're lying to me trust that I will know and I will be unhappy.” Matt threatened.   
“Where's the boy?”   
“He's dead.” His heartbeat betrayed him and Matt hit him hard were the fire extinguisher had made contact. The man gasped in pain.  
“This is what unhappy looks like. Where's the boy?”   
“What do you care? If he's not dead yet, he will be.”   
“Why did you take him?”   
“Figured you'd come running.”   
“And after I was dead?”   
“Sell the kid, like all the others.” Caroline’s blood boiled and she got an idea. She focused on the three spots that registered pain in the brain and let energy flow to them. Making them work overtime. The masked man hit him again, hard. The man yelped, satisfying Caroline.   
“I was telling the truth on that one.” The man moaned.   
“I know. Who do you sell the children to?”  
“I don't know. Whoever has the money.”   
“Where's the boy?”   
“So, you find him. So, what? We'll take another. Kill me, somebody takes my place. Long as people are buying, we'll be selling. Nothing you do tonight will change that. But go ahead. Keep hitting me. Let's see who drops first.” The man laughed and Caroline took a step forward to hit him herself but Claire was faster.   
“Try stabbing him in his trigeminal nerve.” She whispered.  
“Where is it?”   
“Go in through here, right above the eye.” She pointed to a spot where the nose went over to the eyebrows.   
“That's the supraorbital foramen. You want to go in right under there.”  
Before Matt could do anything, Caroline stepped forward.  
“Allow me.” All the rage she had bottled up gave her an immense pool of energy and she used it to attack the nerve Claire had pointed out. She tore at it and kept stimulating the three spots that register pain.  
The man started screaming and tried to get out of his bonds. His body bucked because of the pain and his scream went through flesh and bone.  
The masked man held a hand up to Caroline and she stopped. He untied him and dragged him to the edge of the roof. He held his upper body over the ledge tilting him a few times.   
“You're right what you said before. I kill you, somebody takes your place, but they'll end up back here just like you, and sooner or later, one of you is gonna tell me what I need to know.” The vigilante tilted him again, the man started screaming again.   
“This is important.” The man wouldn’t stop screaming.   
“Shh! Listen.” The vigilante silenced him.   
“I need you to know why I'm hurting you. It's not just the boy. I'm doing this 'cause I enjoy it.” He tilted the man again, now almost completely pushing him over the edge.  
“No, no, no!”   
“Where is he?”   
“Underneath Troika restaurant. Eleventh and 44th.” Matt dropped him back on his feet.   
“They'll be waiting for you. If you're lucky, they'll kill you before they start in on the boy. It would be a shame for you to have to watch what they do to him.” Matt turned and threw the man over the edge. He screamed all the way down until the loud crash.  
Both Claire and Caroline rushed forward, gasping.  
“Oh, my God!” Claire screamed while looking over the edge.  
“It's all right. He landed in the dumpster you pulled me out of.”   
“Is he dead?” She asked. The vigilante tilted his head.  
“He'll live.”  
Caroline checked. “He’s right Claire.” Claire sighed in relief, the masked man grabbed her by the arm. “You need to get your things and leave. Don't tell anyone where you're going.”   
“What?” Claire asked thumb struck.   
“He wakes up, he'll be back and he won't be alone next time.”   
“But he didn't see my face.” She protested.   
“That was just for effect, to scare him. He knew you were lying when you answered your door.”   
“Mike.” Caroline frowned. That name again.   
“Do you have somewhere you can go?”   
“I'm cat-sitting for a woman I work with. Her brother's sick. She's in Oklahoma.”  
“Go there. Here put your number in.” He handed her his cell and she did as he said.  
“I’ll get in touch when it’s safe to come back.”  
Claire nodded and started to walk towards the door to leave the roof. Before she opened the door, she turned towards him.   
“I don't believe you. What you said. I don't believe you enjoy this.” And with that she left the roof.  
“Do you believe that?” Matt asked Caroline. She looked at him and thought about it.  
“I don’t think you enjoy it per se. But I do think you get satisfaction out of it.”  
She walked up to him until she stood right in front of him.  
“I know I did.” She whispered. Matt heard how her heartbeat was steady, she wasn’t lying and she wasn’t scared standing so close to him. Even after the events that took place a few minutes ago. This woman keeps amazing him. He could smell her scent again and got lost in it for a second.   
“You need to go save that kid now.”  
“I know.” Matt turned away from her walked toward the wall of the next roof.  
“Hey!” He turned.  
“You have my number now. If you need healing after saving the boy, after any fight. Call me okay?” Caroline said. “I want to help, and repay my debt.”  
Matt nodded and climbed the wall and started running from rooftop to rooftop, leaving Caroline behind.


	5. Demons

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fanfic will losely follow the main storyline. Various changes may be made.  
> This is my first fanfic so tips and feedback will be appreciated.  
> I'm sorry, English is not my main language so there will most likely be some errors.
> 
> My goal in this chapter was to make a connection between Daredevil and Caroline on a deeper level. I hope it turned out okay. :)
> 
> Again aspecials thanks to http://www.springfieldspringfield.co.uk  
> They make life much easier by posting the scripts only. Saves me a lot of time.

They needed a client. A paying client. Caroline looked at the numbers on her screen and tapped her desk. Foggy and Matt are too good for this world. They didn’t even let her pay them for the incident from a week ago. They had only had two clients so far, Karen and herself, both for free. She had invested some of her money into the company, but she had to be careful. If they noticed…  
She kept tapping her desk with her nails. Free cases won’t keep this place running. She loved them for their willingness to take on pro bono cases but it didn’t bring any money.  
Laughing sounded out of the office of Foggy and Karen.  
Caroline smiled, they got along swell and it was fun to see. Karen was only payed for a part-time job but always stayed the entire day. She couldn’t blame her, it was fun working for the two friends.  
Another round of laughter sounded.  
Caroline glanced at the door of Matt’s office. He wasn’t in yet.  
When Foggy and Matt where around all was fun and laughter. Often, they told about their adventures in college. It was fun.  
But when she was alone with Matt, she didn’t get much out of him. He was always a perfect gentleman and kind but very private. A bit closed off.  
They had had a moment when she gave him the printer, and they had had some banter of their own. But for a week now he had been keeping her at arm’s length and she couldn’t figure out why.  
He had been genuinely pleased with the gift. She had seen that, but then why the distance?  
Caroline shook her head. Stop it.  
He’s your boss anyway, even if he said they were friends, he’s still your boss. You should be working.  
Her eyes focused on the numbers again and she swallowed. How to get more clients. Paying clients.  
The office door opened and Matt entered.  
“Good morning, Matt” She said without looking up from her screen.  
“Morning.” He grunted. He started taking off his coat and winced. She looked over her screen and saw Matt’s bruises and busted lip.  
“Oh my god.”  
Caroline stood and rushed to his side.  
“What happened?”  
“I tripped and fell.” He answered. His coat was half off and the pained look on his face showed the movement to remove it completely, hurt him.  
Caroline quickly took his coat and helped him out of it. She took some of the pain into her and winced at his injuries. That must have been some fall.   
Foggy’s office door opened.  
“Jesus.” Foggy looked at Matt. “What happened to your eye?”  
Karen followed Foggy out.  
“Oh, are you okay?”  
“Yeah.” Matt said a bit uneasy with all the attention. “Yeah, I’m fine.”  
“I just wasn’t paying attention last night. It’s my fault.”  
Caroline looked the man over. Always tripping and falling, injuring himself. It was a bit ridiculous that she thought he could be the hard, rough vigilante. Who had been awol since their torture act. Another man in her life that left her only with questions.  
“You need a dog.” Foggy said. Caroline chuckled at the image of the serious Matthew Murdock walking around with a dog all the time.   
“I’m not getting a dog.” Matt scoffed.   
“What you don’t like dogs? Who doesn’t like dogs? I love dogs.” Foggy said laughing.  
“Everybody loves dogs.” Caroline said.  
Matt laughed and wanted to say something but got interrupted by someone knocking on the door.  
“Was that a knock? Someone’s at the door.” Foggy said with amazement.   
Please let it be a client, a paying client, Caroline thought.  
“What, our door?” Matt smirked. “Caroline?”  
“I’m going.” Caroline moved to the door and opened it.  
A classy guy stood at the other side of it. Neatly tailored hair, glasses that screamed business and a suit that screamed every good paying business equally as loud. He had a folder in his hands.  
“Good morning.” She greeted him.  
“Do you do walk-ins?” The man smiled warmly at Caroline.  
“Yes. Come in.” Caroline opened the door wider and moved to let the man pass. She closed the door behind him.  
He looked at Foggy and Matt and held his hand out.  
Foggy took it first.  
“Franklin Nelson.”  
“James Wesley.”  
The man moved his hand over to Matt. Matt didn’t react and Caroline saw how the man looked at his glasses and cane. He dropped his hand.  
“This is my partner, Matthew Murdock.”  
“And these are our secretaries, Caroline Fox and Karen Page.”  
The man nodded towards the women.  
“Let’s take this into the conference room.” Foggy suggested.  
Karen, Foggy, Matt and the man went into the conference room. Caroline had a weird feeling about the man but hoped he was at least a paying client. He looked like one anyway.  
She was following up on her emails when Karen left the room with a hurt look on her face.  
“Everything okay?”  
“I think it’s better you get in there, instead of me.” Karen said with a trembling voice.  
Caroline frowned but took her notebook and a pen. When she entered the room, she noticed the weird vibe immediately. Foggy looked confused and Matt had turned into a cold mask.  
“I didn’t mean to upset anyone.” Mister Wesley turned at the sound of the door closing. He smiled at Caroline and she silently took a seat.  
“How did you know about Miss Page's situation? She was never charged. There was nothing in the papers.” Matt asked with a coldness in his voice Caroline hadn’t heard before.  
“I have friends on the force.” Mister Wesley said. “I hear I’m not the only one.” He looked at Foggy.  
“I think we might be veering off the subject.” Matt intervened.  
“I understand your concerns, Mister Murdock.” He laid a folder on the table.  
“Perhaps you should review one of our cases before you make a decision? Peace of mind and whatnot.”  
Foggy took the file. “That’s a fantastic idea.” He nudged Matt. “Matthew?”  
“Yeah, what harm could it do?” Matt smiled but his smile gave Caroline the chills.  
“Excellent.” Mister Wesley looked at his watch. “You have 38 minutes to get to Precinct 15.”  
“What? Now?” Foggy asked surprised. “What’s the case?”  
“Everything you need is in the file.” Mister Wesley stood up. “Thank you for your time.”  
Foggy stood also and shook the man’s hand. “No, thank you.”  
Caroline accompanied mister Wesley to the exit.  
“It was nice to meet you Caroline.”   
“Likewise, have a nice day, mister Wesley.”  
She closed the door behind him.  
“Matt!” Matt passed Caroline in a hurry and opened the door again, following mister Wesley outside.  
“What was that about?” Foggy said frustrated.  
“What happened before I got in the room Foggy?”  
“I have no idea, Matt immediately gave the man a third degree. Mister Wesley lashed out, and threw Karen’s history at us.”  
Caroline frowned.  
“What’s up with him? It’s a paying client.” Foggy wondered.  
Something wasn’t right. There was something off about this whole situation.  
“Anyway, I have to get going. Our client awaits us at the precinct.” Foggy put on his coat and left as well.  
Caroline was confused by the whole situation. Matt was acting strange. She had never seen him this cold before. Emotionless, strictly business. It had been weird.

Caroline was drinking some coffee when the door of the office opened and an angry Foggy and a frustrated Matt entered.  
“You wanna tell me what the hell's going on with you? First you decide we're taking the case unilaterally and then you cross-examine the guy like we're playing bad cop/worse cop.”  
Foggy exclaimed. Caroline silently stood to help Matt with his coat. He winced at the wrong movements. She frowned and took some more of his pain away again.  
“If we want to keep the lights on, we gotta take some cases for the money. You were right about that.” Matt answered.  
“Okay, for the record, this is the first time you've ever said I was right. I hate it.” Foggy said. Even Foggy didn’t like the case, knowing there was money in it. That wasn’t good. But why had Matt accepted then? He didn’t care as much for the money. Caroline looked at the man, who’s become more and more of a mystery.  
“Sometimes, we have to do things we aren't proud of.” Matt said.   
“Yeah, but this can't become what we do.”   
“Yeah, I know.”   
“And we have to be on the same team, making decisions together.” Foggy added.   
“I got carried away. I'm sorry, Foggy.”   
“It's okay.”   
Caroline smiled at them. They started a whole legal discussion and she went to make some more coffee for them both. At the sounds of it, it would be a long day.  
“Caroline?”  
She peeked her head out of the kitchen and looked at Matt.  
“Could you cash this check in please? And see what you can find out about Confederated Global.”  
“Sure.”  
“Where’s Karen?”  
“She already left.”  
“Oh.”

Caroline went to cash the check and it cleared so fast it gave her a whiplash. This would get them by for a time. Even if it didn’t sit completely right. But being a lawyer you always have that risk.  
When she returned she started on the research. She found out that Confederate Global was a daughter company of a daughter company of a daughter company. It was an impossible maze to track back and she stopped when the figures started to spin in front of her.  
After some time, Foggy called her. She opened the door to the conference room.  
“Yes?”  
“You find out anything on Confed Global?” Matt asked.  
“Yeah, uh, it's a subsidiary of a holding company of a loan-out to a holding subsidiary and on and on and on. But that check cleared in about two seconds.”   
“There's your money.” Matt told Foggy. Thank god for that, Caroline thought.  
“Bang on the router, will you?” Foggy asked.  
“Sure.” Caroline left the room and banged on the router. They needed better Wi-Fi. 

When everyone had left for work, Caroline did her usual routine. Go home, get a shower eat something and go to the hospital. She’d been doing it for a week now and the more she did it the more people she could heal with less energy. It felt good to gain control.  
She never made the mistake of draining herself too much again though. She knew her boundaries now and she always left with enough energy to be able to defend herself.   
Starting to finish up she healed the last couple of people when she suddenly sensed someone getting hurt. She focused on it and a man was getting beat up heavily, a few blocks further.  
Her heart started to race. She scanned the rooftops for a familiar figure but didn’t see a thing. If nobody intervened this man would die. This is why they sent her here right? To train. Even Stark had suggested to her that she should become a vigilante. This is why she had followed Stark, knowing if she did she could help people.  
With her heart pounding in her chest she made a decision. Caroline pulled down her hoodie more, to cover her face and started making her way to the ally.  
She walked in on a broad man kicking another man – who was lying on the ground – in the stomach.  
He was shouting gibberish at him, a familiar kind of gibberish and she started getting pissed again. Russians.  
“Hey!” She shouted. The man straightened his back treating her with the full view of his massive appearance. Caroline swallowed. Uh – oh.   
He turned and laughed when he saw her.  
“Stay away from him!” The man’s laughter died and he started talking gibberish again with an angry tone. Caroline started draining him and he walked with big strides towards her. Shit.  
The draining didn’t seem to affect him much and before she knew he was grabbing her by her shoulders and threw her against the wall. Her hoodie flew off and stars clouded her sight. She quickly searched the nerve Claire had showed her a week ago. She teared at it and the man screamed. Draining him further and pulling his energy inside her, healing her, the stars cleared and she looked up. Screaming he charged at her and knocked her on the head again. She quickly stimulated the spots in the brain that feel pain while still tearing the nerve apart. The man stumbled and fell to his knees screaming. This only lasted a few moments and he slowly stood up again.  
The guy was a monster. The other time on the roof the man had been worth nothing when she did this to him. But this guy kept going he focused on her again. Shit.  
She knew what she could do, but was disgusted with herself thinking about it. She had no choice, she searched for his spinal cord, ready to sever it.  
A black blur came between them and started hitting the man. Relieved she leaned against the wall.   
The fighting went quick, the two equally taking punches until the big guy was out cold.  
Caroline crawled to the man who was beat up and started healing his internal injuries.  
“What do you think you’re doing?!” The masked man came to stand next to her.  
“Healing this man.”  
“Caroline!” The man groaned. “What were you thinking walking into a fight like that?!”  
She was done and looked at the man angrily.  
“I was thinking that this man needed help. What was I supposed to do walk away?”  
“Yes, and call 911.” He said.  
“By the time they arrived, he would have been dead!” She shouted.  
The masked man approached her with an intimidating stance and Caroline stepped back until her back touched the wall of the ally. He was so close in her personal space she could smell sweat, blood and dirt, covering up another smell. Familiar but she couldn’t place it.  
“You weren’t there! For all I knew you weren’t coming. I could help!” She exclaimed.  
The man growled.  
“It’s not worth risking your life for. You shouldn’t be doing this. It’s too dangerous.” He grunted.  
“Is that why you haven’t called?” She asked softly.   
Her eyes fell to a cut on his arm and she reached for it. He grabbed her wrist and pinned it against the wall. Invading her personal space even more.  
“Don’t heal me.”   
“Why?”  
“Just don’t.”  
“Fine.”  
Matt breathed heavily. She was safe and he was angry. Not at her. She had a good soul, this made it impossible for her to walk away. He was angry at himself, he should have kept an ear on her. Just keep listening if she was alright. Especially at night. Her heart thrummed. Not with fear but with anger. The taste of copper entered his mouth, it wasn’t his blood. It was hers. Blood trickled down her temple. He reached for it with his free hand and touched her lightly to wipe away the blood.  
“You’re hurt.”  
She shrugged.  
“You’re hurt too, doesn’t seem that big of a deal to you.”  
“Heal yourself.”  
“No.”  
Matt groaned. This woman was infuriating. Stubborn and too good for her own good. He needed her safe. He didn’t want his struggles for her. She’s too good for that.  
“Caroline, you can’t get involved in this.” He whispered, pleading. Her heart sped up a pace.  
“Why?”  
“You’re a good person, a really good person.”  
“You’re a good person too.”  
“I have my demons.” He confessed.  
“I have my demons too.” Matt scoffed.  
“Do you know what I was about to do, before you intervened?” She whispered.  
Matt stayed still, expecting her to tell him.  
“I was about to sever that man’s spinal cord. He would have been paralyzed neck down.”  
“You can do that?” Matt asked amazed.  
“Yeah, I’ve been refraining to do it, but I would have.”  
“Why have you been refraining to do it?”   
“I told you, I have my demons.”  
“Has it to do with your home town?”   
Caroline swallowed hard. Matt could hear her heart speeding up. They stood in silence, Matt almost thought she wasn’t going to answer.  
“Tell me, masked man. Have you ever killed a man?” She whispered.  
“I know you’re not shy to brake bones, multiple ones. But have you ever killed a man?”  
“No.” Matt said hoarsely. Where was she going with this?  
“I have.” The two words hit Matt as two punches in the stomach.  
“Didn’t mean to. But I did.” She sighed and looked at the masked man. He remained silent. She took that as an invitation to tell her story.  
“Back home, I was proud of my powers. I thought it was a gift from god and I was doing his work. I could help people in a way doctors never could. I didn’t hide it, didn’t really knew how. So, people started talking and soon the rumor of the miracle girl with the healing hands spread. I couldn’t do the things I can now. I could only heal people when I touched them. As word got around people started looking for me at home. I healed more and more a day and it took a toll. I was drained, all I did all day was healing people. My mother forced me to start turning down people, before I killed myself. A lot didn’t take it well. One night two brothers broke in my home with their mother in the car. Held a knife to my mother’s and little sister’s throat, she’s 18, her life is just starting. Forced me to heal their mother of cancer. My mom kept telling me not to do it. Not to get forced into it, or it would never stop. I listened and refused.” Caroline paused.  
“The man started cutting my little sister’s throat, he didn’t get very far. As soon as I saw the blood of my baby sister, something took over. I suddenly sensed the people in the room, I could reach out to them and I snapped his wrist along with his brother’s. Releasing my family. I should’ve stopped but I was angry. Furious that this was the thanks I got after healing so many people. I threw the range were I could sense people further out with the intention to take all the healing that I had given back. But it was too much. Too much people in town. Too much information from everyone. It overtook me all I could see were wounds and sickness. I panicked and I pushed it away. I pushed it all away.” Caroline started crying.  
“Little did I know that by doing that I had caused heart attacks all over town. After I realized what I had done, I tried to heal everyone. But one man didn’t come out of it and I ran, disgusted by what I had done.”   
Matt remained silent.  
“I took a man’s life.” She whispered. “I knew him, he had a bakery. He had a wife, two kids and I snuffed his light out.”  
“You didn’t mean to.” He whispered. Caroline could feel his breath tickling on her cheek.  
“That doesn’t matter. In the eyes of god, I killed a man, my soul is forfeit. I can’t be saved or redeemed. I realize now that these powers aren’t a gift from god. But the temptation of the devil. I gave him free reigns and paid the price.” Her tears had stopped, leaving a trace on the cheeks.  
“Judgement day will come and I already know what my judgement will be. All I can do until that day is try and make sure that people won’t have theirs ahead of time whenever I can. Not like that poor baker.”  
Matt was baffled. She thinks she’s going to hell, she’s sure of it and that nothing she does can save her and she still wants to give her life to save another. He was enchanted by her, he didn’t understand her, it captivated him. He raised his thumb and wiped her tears away. He lowered his head until his cheek touched hers, his body pressing against hers. Now not only hearing her heartbeat but also feeling it against his chest. He made a promise to himself that he would make sure that this heartbeat would keep going until old age would claim it.  
“You can be saved, I will see to that.” He whispered, he let go of her and ran to the dumpster. Jumped on top of it to reach the top of the wall and jumped over it.

Caroline could feel her heartbeat in her ears, her cheeks where flushed. Had that really just happened? She had told, this brutish vigilante, whom she barely knows, who’s face she had never seen, her darkest secret. And he had told her that he would save her?  
Sadness fell over her. She couldn’t be saved, she had accepted that.  
Sirens woke her of her thinking and she got out of there. Not feeling like giving another statement. The masked man should be known in the precinct now, they’ll connect the dots.  
At home, she refreshed herself and saw the bruises and cuts on her face in the mirror. She almost left them there but that could raise some sticky questions at work. While looking at her reflection she healed herself. She saw how the wound closed and the bruises cleared.  
Caroline crawled into bed and closed her eyes. The las thing she did before succumbing to the darkness was thinking about the masked stranger and his impossible promise.

The next day went by in a blur. The conversation she had had with the vigilante kept going through her mind. She wandered what he was thinking when she told him. The fact that his eyes were constantly covered made it difficult to read his reactions.  
It almost took over all her thoughts. Luckily, she had already prepared the legal documents for Foggy and Matt the day before. When they prepared to go to the trial she handed them the folders. One in normal print for Foggy and one in braille for Matt.  
Karen left as well for the day leaving Caroline alone in the office. She tried to focus on work but to be honest there wasn’t much to do so that didn’t work. The day crawled by.  
Caroline sighed and closed her eyes. She could feel his stubble against her cheek again, his breath in her neck, “You can be saved, I will see to that.”  
Caroline shuddered.   
The door of the office opened, Foggy came in and closed it behind him.  
“Where’s Matt?”   
“He said he had to take care of something.”  
“So, how does it look?” Foggy sighed and sat on her desk.  
“This is a really weird case. The prosecution won’t give a statement. It’s like they don’t want him to be trialed guilty. Which give the self-defense story free reigns. This stinks. This case stinks all over and I wish we didn’t need the stinky money.”  
Caroline put a hand on Foggy’s arm and squeezed it gently.  
“This is a one-time event, Foggy. We learn from this.” Caroline smiled at him.  
“You’re right.” And Foggy smiled back.  
“You know, Matt was right to hire you. You have been such a help, and you want the same things we do. We couldn’t have asked for a better secretary.”  
“Thanks, Foggy.”  
“Hey, you want to go get a drink?” He asked while hopping of her desk.  
“Sure, why not?” Caroline smiled.  
“Great! Let me introduce you to Josie’s.”  
“To who?”

Josie’s was a bar. A filthy bar, with a wide span of different people in it. It was packed, it smelled, everything looked dirty and Caroline loved it. This is how a bar is meant to be.  
“Oh wow.” She said.  
Foggy chuckled. “Oh, yeah, this place is a shithole but it's our shithole.”  
Caroline laughed and they searched for some seats. Foggy shouted their order to the counter and sat down.  
“The city has tried to shut it down half a dozen times, but I helped Josie with the liens, and as a result, we get to drink for free.” Foggy exclaimed.  
The woman from behind the bar – Josie she assumed – came to their table and set down their drinks. “You absolutely do not get to drink for free.” Josie said.  
“Let's agree to disagree.”   
“Thank you.” Caroline said to Josie and she took her drink in hand.   
“Cheers.” Foggy lifted his glass to her and took a swig.  
“You could do so much better, love.” Josie said with a dirty look to Foggy. Caroline laughed at that. “Thank you, Josie, but this is my employee for your information, and we are not on a date.” He said. Josie rolled her eyes and walked back to the bar. Foggy turned to Caroline.  
“Are we on a date?”   
“Definitely not.” Caroline said and she took a swig from the drink, which was bitter and burned in her throat.   
“Okay, good because I’m fairly certain that you’re in love with my best friend, Matt Murdock.”  
Caroline choked on her drink.  
“What?” she said laughing.  
“What other explanation could there be? You hang around his office all day.”  
“Well, I am his secretary, Foggy.”  
“You gaze at him lovingly when you think no-one’s not looking.”   
“What?” Caroline started to blush deeply. Foggy smiled wider with a sparkle in his eyes and leaned closer to Caroline.  
“You think I don’t know what you did for him? I’ve been researching braille printers too you know, not something many people can afford.” Shit, she though he didn’t know.  
“And how you rush to him when he’s hurt or needs help.”  
“Everybody does that.” Caroline protested.  
“Yeah, but not everybody stands so close to him or hugs him like you did.”  
“That… was on a difficult night Foggy.”  
Foggy grimaced at which turn the conversation took.  
“I’m sorry, I know that.”  
Caroline sighed and took another swig. She saw something move in the bottle.  
“Is there something in there?”   
“I think that's an eel.”  
“Really?” She didn’t really knew how she had to feel about that, disgusted or excited.  
“Let's get to the bottom and find out.”   
Caroline laughed at that and they both took another sip.   
“So, you wanna talk about it?” Foggy said cautiously.  
Caroline smiled at him.  
“I’m better. In the beginning, I had nightmares, sleeping pills helped me with that.”  
“Helped?”  
“Yeah, I stopped two day’s ago. Didn’t want to become dependent of them.”  
“And the dreams?”  
“If I have them I don’t remember them.” Caroline took another swig.  
“You’re a strong woman Caroline. Again, we’re lucky to have you.”  
Caroline smiled.  
Foggy hesitated a moment.  
“You’d be good for Matt.”  
Caroline blushed again and focused on her drink.  
“He’s been through a lot in his life, someone strong like you would be good for him.”  
“Foggy…”  
“Okay, okay I’ll leave it alone. Just saying.”  
They moved on to other subjects and discovered later that there was and actual eel in there.


	6. Taken

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fanfic will losely follow the main storyline. Various changes may be made.  
> This is my first fanfic so tips and feedback will be appreciated.  
> I'm sorry, English is not my main language so there will most likely be some errors.
> 
> Again aspecials thanks to http://www.springfieldspringfield.co.uk  
> They make life much easier by posting the scripts only. Saves me a lot of time.

The next day her head felt a bit heavy but luckily, she had healing powers and she made the headache disappear.  
She was the first to arrive at the office and prepared everything for the trail again. After that she made coffee. Foggy entered with a grumpy look on his face.  
“Morning.” Caroline smiled at him and handed him a coffee.  
Foggy looked her over.  
“Djeez, you can hold your liquor. You don’t even have a hangover, do you?”  
“Nope.” She answered as Foggy took the cup out of her hands.  
He mumbled something and disappeared in his office. She took his headache a bit away so he would be fresh for the trail.   
Right as the next cup was ready Matt walked in. She took the cup and walked over to Matt.  
“Morning.”   
“Is that coffee I smell?” He said while hanging up his coat.  
“It sure is.” Caroline took his hand with her free hand and guided it to the cup in her other hand.  
“Thank you, Caroline.”  
“You’re welcome.”  
She turned back to the machine to get her own cup.  
When Caroline brought them their preparations, Karen arrived.   
Everyone was busy doing their own work while the time for the trail approached.  
Caroline printed some final documentations for Matt and waited for the papers at the printer.  
Matt suddenly stood behind her.   
“Are those the final papers?”  
“Yep.”   
“Good.” Matt hesitated a moment.  
“Do you want to come?”  
“What?”  
“It’s about time you saw us in action and you said you wanted to learn.”  
“But what about the office?”  
“We can close up for the afternoon.”  
Caroline beamed and smiled widely. She put her hand on his arm and squeezed gently.  
“Thank you.”  
Matt smiled back.  
Caroline quickly prepared her own notes and when it was time they made their way to court.  
Foggy had not been kidding that the prosecution didn’t put any energy in it.  
It was time for the final statements and Matt stood to give his. Foggy leaned to Caroline, who was sitting behind him.  
“Matt is great at these.”  
Matt just stood there for a moment. Caroline could see he was concentrating, she had no idea on what though. It was a bit unnerving, maybe that was the goal.  
Their client thought so too and whispered to Foggy.  
“What the hell is he doing?”  
The judge intervened.  
“Mr. Murdock, we're waiting.”  
Matt jumped.   
“Sorry, Your Honor.” She saw how Matt put his lawyer mask on and he sighed.  
“Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, forgive me if I seem distracted. I've been preoccupied of late with, uh, questions of morality of right and wrong, good and evil. Sometimes the delineation between the two is a sharp line. Sometimes it's a blur and often it's like pornography. You just know when you see it.” Matt said smiling.  
The people in the courtroom started laughing. Caroline couldn’t hide a little smile herself.  
“A man is dead. I don't mean to make light of that, but these questions, these questions are vital ones because they tether us, to each other, to humanity. Not everyone feels this way. Not everyone sees the sharp line, only the blur. A man is dead.”  
Matt moved a bit closer to the jury.  
“A man is dead. And my client, John Healy took his life. This is not in dispute. It is a matter, of record, of fact and facts have no moral judgment. They merely state what is. Not what we think of them, not what we feel. They just are.” He paused a second letting it sink in.  
“What was in my client's heart when he took Mister Prohaszka's life, whether he is a good man or something else entirely, is irrelevant. These questions of good and evil, as important as they are, have no place in a court of law. Only the facts matter. My client claims he acted in self-defense. Mister Prohaszka's associates have refused to make a statement regarding the incident. The only other witness, a frightened young woman, has stated that my client was pleasant and friendly, and that she only saw the struggle with Mister Prohaszka after it had started.”  
He raised his head a bit.   
“Those are the facts. Based on these and these alone, the prosecution has failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that my client was not acting solely in self-defense. And those, ladies and gentlemen of the jury are the facts. My client, based purely on the sanctity of the law which we've all sworn an oath to uphold, must be acquitted of these charges.”  
Matt paused again.  
“Now, beyond that, beyond these walls he may well face a judgment of his own making. But here in this courtroom the judgment is yours and yours alone.”  
The courtroom was silent. Everyone had been hanging on his lips, Caroline as well.  
She got goosebumps from his speech, it felt so close to what she was experiencing, her demons.  
Matt returned to his seat and the jury left for the deliberation.  
It took a few hours before they were called back in the courtroom.  
“Please be seated.” The judge said.  
Caroline saw how Matt tilted his head.  
“They’re hung.” He said. Caroline raised her eyebrows at that, how did he…?  
“Madam Foreperson, it's my understanding from this note that you have been unable to reach a verdict.”  
“We have not, Your Honor.”  
Matt was right. Caroline was amazed.  
“She's sending them back in.” Foggy said. “Still split, DA will retry.”   
“No, they won't. Will they, Mister Healy?” Matt said.  
“That was a hell of a speech you gave, Murdock. A hell of a speech.” The man said with a smug tone.  
Matt was right, the judge declared a mistrial.  
Mister Healy wasn’t found guilty, but he wasn’t acquitted of the charges either. If the DA wants to, they could call for a retrial. And then the trial starts all over again with a different jury. Until that time mister Healy was a free man.  
Caroline’s stomach turned with the realization of how dirty this case was.  
Matt was right, the DA won’t do a thing and Healy walks.

-§-

Caroline opened her eyes to her dark room. A bit groggy she looked at her clock. 3 AM. Great.  
What had woken her up?  
Knocking sounded through her apartment. She blinked a few times, who could that be so late at night. She put on a robe and walked to the front door when the knocking sounded again.  
And it didn’t come from her front door but from the roof access.  
Her heart sped up. Could it be?  
She opened the door and sure enough, there he was. Bloodied and panting.  
Wordlessly she opened her door wider and let him in.  
He stood in the center of the room for a while, saying nothing. Blood dripping from his wounds.  
The events of last time they saw each other hung between them. Hovering making speech uncomfortable. Caroline decided to ease the mood a bit.  
“So, you wrote down my address too huh?”  
The man nodded.  
“This place is big, don’t you work for a starting lawyer business? I doubt their pay is enough to afford this.” He gestured around him with his hand.  
“Did you come here to discuss my personal wealth?” Caroline quirked her eyebrows up.  
“No.”  
“Didn’t think so.” She moved closer to him and threw her grid over him. He was hurt, old wounds and new ones all over his body. He had been busy. But not as bad as the night at Claire’s apartment. She had always though he would be half dead until he asked for her help again. Caroline was happy he let her heal him while he’s not half dead too.  
She healed him, it only took a few minutes until he was almost brand-new again.  
“Thank you.” He whispered.  
“You really need to get some body armor or something.”  
“It would slow me down too much.”  
“So will a bullet.”  
The masked man chuckled.  
“You worried about me?”   
Caroline blushed.  
“What if I were?”  
“I would tell you, I’m a big boy, and not to be.”  
“Well at least come by quicker for healing, okay? Wouldn’t want a wound slow you down too much.”  
He tilted his head and thought about it for a second then nodded.  
“Good.” Caroline turned and went to sit down on a chair.  
The masked man followed and stopped right next to her.  
“Caroline.”   
“Yes?” She looked up to him, to his mask.  
He handed her a phone.  
“Thank you, but I’ve already got one.”  
“Call yourself with it. I want you to have my number.”  
Caroline frowned.  
“Why?”  
The masked man sighed and went to sit in the chair next to her.  
“Caroline, I’ve saved you three times now. Two times directly related to the Russians and one of your attackers still walks around. I haven’t been able to find him.”  
Caroline swallowed hard.  
“I don’t know for sure, but they’ve got to be connecting some dots right now.”  
Caroline nodded and did as he said. She rang her own phone and saved his number.  
“If anything happens call me okay.” She nodded again.  
“Same counts for you. If you’re too hurt to move or whatever, call me. And don’t give me the bullshit that I shouldn’t get involved in this. I’m already involved.”  
“Fine.”  
“Fine.”  
Silence filled the room.  
“So euhm, do you need anything else?”  
The masked man seemed to be thinking He sighed and let his head hang.  
“Your employers defended a client recently.”  
“Yes. How do you…”  
“He’s dead.”  
Caroline looked at him chocked.  
“Mister Healy?” The masked man nodded.  
“How?”  
“He impaled himself.”   
Caroline gasped. “What, why?”  
“There’s something big going on. The hits on the streets are organized. That man, mister Healy, he’s… was a professional hitman. Your case was an execution, mister Prohaszka angered the wrong people I would guess.”  
Caroline knew it made sense, the case smelled from the beginning.  
“There’s someone big behind all of this. I try to get a name out of everyone I encounter and stop. Nobody ever seems to know a name. So, I keep asking and I decided to pay mister Healy visited. He finally gave me a name. After that he called me a coward, that everyone he loves would be killed because he gave that name. Then he turned and impaled himself.”  
“That must be one scary bully.”  
The masked man nodded.  
“What’s the name?”  
He hesitated.  
“Wilson Fisk.”  
“Never heard of him.”  
“Nobody has, there aren’t any public records either.”  
“Maybe he was lying?”  
“And impale himself afterwards? For a lie? Besides he wasn’t, I could tell.”  
He sighed. “The Russians are involved in this too, and I wouldn’t be surprised the attack on that girl from union allied was tied to it as well. And all I have is a name of someone who doesn’t seem to freaking exist.” He slammed his fist on the table. Caroline could feel he was disappointed in himself. She reached out and gave a gentle squeeze in his arm.   
“You’ll figure it out.” He nodded and sighed. Caroline decided to lighten the mood again.  
“So, you know when people are lying huh?”  
The man chuckled and nodded. Caroline tilted her head.  
“I met Tony Stark once.”  
“The masked man looked surprised.  
“You have?”  
“No, but you thought I did.” Caroline smiled.  
“Now you’re lying.”  
She frowned.  
“I love hello kitty.”  
“No, you don’t.”  
“In college, I was a heavy gamer.”  
“Cool.”  
“I’ve never been drunk in my life.”  
“Liar.” He laughed.  
“I fell on my face in front of the whole school once.”  
“That must have been embarrassing.”  
Caroline laughed.  
“Okay how do you do that?”  
The masked man chuckled.   
“Your heartbeat and breathing change when you lie, if you want it or not.”  
Caroline tilted her head.  
“You can hear that?”  
“Yes.”  
“Cool.” The man chuckled.  
“So how did you meet the famous Tony Stark?”  
Crap, now she knew he would know she lied.  
“Uhm, a story for another time okay?”  
The man paused.  
“As you wish.” He stood and Caroline stood as well.  
“I’ll let you go back to sleep.”  
“So, is Mike your real name?” She blurted out.  
“What?”  
“I heard Claire call you that the other night. I thought, since she saw your face… Well, is it?”  
“No, she came up with that name. So she had something to call me by.”  
“Oh. Can I call you Mike too?”  
He shrugged.  
“Sure.”  
He walked to the door for the roof access.   
“Hey Mike!” He turned back to Caroline and she approached him.  
“I think you’re pretty amazing, putting yourself on the line like that for other people.” She knew he would hear that she meant it. She leaned forward so her lips where close to his ear and whispered.   
“Even if you’re a jerk sometimes.”  
She pulled back and walked laughing to her bedroom.  
Matt smiled widely when he left her apartment.

-§-

“Here you go. The last of the paperwork from the Healy case.” It was the end of the day, Caroline was almost ready to go home. She just had to give the last of the paperwork to the guys. So she stood in Matt’s office delivering it to him, the file for Foggy in hand. “Not that there is much use anymore. You know since he’s dead.”  
Foggy had been chocked to have learned the news from officer Mahoney. Caroline faked her chock and Matt was barely surprised. Like he had expected it or something.  
“Thank you, Caroline.” Matt smiled at her, or at least in her direction.  
“So, I’m going to get going soon.”  
“Okay.”  
Caroline sighed and turned to walk away.  
“Caroline?”  
“Yes.”  
Matt stood up and walked over to her.  
“Are you okay?”  
“I’m fine.”  
“We haven’t really talked since…” Caroline sighed and Matt reached out to her. First grazing the door and then touching her arm. He gave her a gentle squeeze.  
“I’m coping.” She sighed.  
“Had some nightmares at first but no so much anymore now.”  
“Caroline, if you need anything…” He took another step closer.  
Caroline looked down at their feet.  
“It kills me that he’s still out there.” She whispered.  
Matt rubbed his thumb over her arm and cursed himself that he hadn’t been able to find the bastard.  
“Not that I’m afraid that he’ll come after me, I don’t think he knows who I am.” She raised her head and looked at Matt. She saw her own reflection in his glasses.  
“It kills me that the bastard got away. That he could be stalking after other girls. New victims that might not be so lucky as me.”  
Matt leaned closer, Caroline’s heartbeat sped up as she could smell his scent again. Rain and lime.  
“They will find him, Caroline.”  
His breath tickled her cheek and she felt her stomach do some summersaults.  
She felt a blush creep across her face. They weren’t so far apart. Her body screamed to cross the distance and touch him. She didn’t even know if he felt the same way, he’s her boss, her sweet, kind and mysterious boss. And handsome, so freaking handsome.  
“Shit! Crappy machine that won’t listen!” Foggy shouted from his office  
Caroline and Matt jumped apart, startled, Foggy’s folder fell to the ground spreading the papers everywhere.  
“Shit.”  
Caroline ducked to get them, Matt followed suit and helped her picking them up.  
She quickly picked up as many as she could. He was still so close, her heart still hammering.  
Matt handed her some papers and she took them quickly.  
“Ouch.” Matt grunted surprised.  
Caroline looked down and she saw a cut between his index finger and thumb. It started bleeding.  
“Damn.” Matt said and he touched the wound, sensing the blood. “Papercut.”  
“I’m so sorry.”  
Matt stood and Caroline did too.  
She placed the papers on her desk and returned to Matt, taking his hand in hers. Blood dripping to the ground.  
“We should take care of it.”  
“It’s just a papercut Caroline.”  
“Yeah and it’s dripping blood. It’s going to get all over your clothes. Come.”  
She carefully guided him to the kitchen where the first aid kit was stored.  
Caroline sat Matt down on a chair and opened the kit. She took out bandages, cottons and a disinfectant. She poured some disinfectant on the cotton and took Matt’s hand back in hers.  
“This is going to sting a bit.” She warned him. Caroline carefully dabbed the wound and wiped all the blood away. She took the bandages and began winding it around Matt’s hand.  
“That’s a lot of work for just a papercut.” Matt chuckled.  
“Well deal with it Murdock.” Caroline laughed and she tied the ends of with a bow.  
Matt touched his hand and felt the bow.  
“Is that a bow?”  
“Yep. Call it my signature.” Matt laughed. His hand was still in hers he trailed a trace across her wrist with his thumb. Feeling her heartbeat underneath it.   
“Caroline, would you like to go to dinner with me sometime?”  
Caroline heart fluttered and her cheeks reddened.  
“I’d love to Matt.” He smiled at her and she smiled back.  
They heard a loud bang from Foggy’s bureau. “Come on! Stupid piece of…”  
Caroline let go of Matt’s hand.  
“I have to go.”  
“Okay.”   
Caroline started walking away.  
“Goodnight Matt.”

Her heart was going at a rapid pace. Matt Murdock, her handsome boss, had just asked her out. Her stomach did some more summersaults at the thought of it.  
She grinned like a teenage girl and hurried to her apartment to get changed, eat something and go to the hospital for some training. The smile never left her lips.

Okay that’s enough for tonight Caroline. She thought to herself after healing the last couple of people. She rolled her shoulders and got up from the bench to walk home.  
She overdid it a bit but she was happy. She could heal more and more people without getting too drained. She thought of Matt and his papercut and she chuckled. The smile crept back up her face. She had forgotten how exciting the dating thing was. Or maybe it was the first time she really got excited.  
Footsteps sounded behind her, it made her come out of her thoughts.  
The ally where they had tried to… It wasn’t that far up ahead. It made her flash back to that night. Her breathing got heavier. Calm down Caroline, this is not that night, relax. Just to be sure she reached into her purse grabbed her cellphone. She had the vigilante on speed dial, just in case.  
She crossed the ally and nothing happened, but the footsteps kept following her. She quickened her pace, her apartment wasn’t that far anymore.  
Just a bit further. Just around the corner.  
Caroline turned the corner and got hit in the face hard.  
She fell to the ground on her back. Her nose bled.  
Someone crouched on top of her, putting the bat to her neck, pushing down. Choking her. She looked up to her assailant.  
“Remember me, bitch?!” the man spat. It was the guy that got away, his face was still a mess.  
She attacked him full force on the nerve behind his eye. He screamed and slapped her across the face.  
“You witch! Put her out.” She kept attacking him so he rolled off of her. But the guy that had been following her stabbed her with something. She pushed him away and started crawling away. She started feeling tired. Something clouded her head. He hadn’t stabbed her, he had injected her. She saw her purse next to her and tried healing the sedative away but she couldn’t concentrate.   
“We’ve got you now bitch!” The nerves, she tried attacking again but it didn’t work. Her cell! It lay just beside her purse, she grabbed it and she pressed the speed dial button.  
Someone pulled her feet and she started kicking them. They grunted at the impact. They struggled a while until they started dragging her away.  
“Mike!” she managed to screamed just before darkness overtook her.

Matt closed the office down with Foggy and they left the building together. Foggy kept mumbling about getting better equipment.  
“Caroline can work with it just fine.” Matt laughed.  
“I swear the woman is a wizard or something. Those things never listen to me.” Foggy exclaimed.  
“My mom wanted me to be a butcher, you know that?”   
“Oh, not the butcher story.” Matt laughed.   
“I said, ‘No, Mom, I want to be a lawyer. ‘I don't remember what I said next.”  
“No, you never do.”   
“But I'm fairly certain it wasn't about bailing out a piss-drunk electrician who nearly burned his house down.”   
“Ed's wife left him, Foggy. It was an accident. Admittedly involving cigarettes and gasoline, but still.”   
“I could be carving my own corned beef. Making my own pickles, have a little shop of my own.”  
“You got your own office.” Matt said.   
“We have office space. An actual office would involve plantery and equipment, fax machines or whatever successful people use.”   
“I don't think they use fax machines anymore.”   
“How would I know? Which is endemic to the problem.” Foggy tried to flag down a cab.   
“Matt, what if we're doing this all wrong? What if Landman and Zack was the way to go?”   
“You hated interning there.”   
“I hate being broke.” Foggy mumbled. The cab didn’t stop.   
“You think Landman and Zack would have helped out Ed?” matt asked.   
“No. But they had free bagels every morning. And they had furniture that didn't smell like a pack of cigarettes. And elevators God, I miss the elevators.” Foggy said while trying to flag down another cab.  
“We're doing good here, Foggy.”   
“Are we?” A cab slowed down and started to park in front of them.   
“Yeah, we're making a difference.” Matt’s cell started ringing, it was his burner phone.   
“You get a new phone? We afford that?”   
Matt picked up. “Hey, one sec.” He said in the phone and turned to Foggy. “Foggy, I'll see you tomorrow.”   
“It's a girl, isn't it? You got a new phone just for your girls.” Foggy said while opening the door of the cab. “My life sucks.”  
“Get home safe.” Matt answered laughing and he closed the door for Foggy.  
“Hey, what's up?” Matt heard a scream at the other side. “Mike!”   
“Caroline? Caroline, can you hear me? Caroline!” The call got disconnected and Matt started running to an ally. He threw his cane to the side and started climbing a fire escape. Running from rooftop to rooftop. Please don’t let me be too late. Fear nestling in his heart.  
He arrived at her roof. He immediately sensed she hadn’t been there. Her smell was too old, from a few hours ago. The hospital! He started taking her route from the hospital while calling her back.  
He heard her phone ringing and climbed down another fire escape. The sound was getting closer.  
Until it was underneath his feet. Her purse next to it. He smelled the air and recognized it immediately. It was the same smell that had defiled hers the night of her attack.  
“Fuck!”


	7. Discovered

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fanfic will losely follow the main storyline. Various changes may be made.  
> This is my first fanfic so tips and feedback will be appreciated.  
> I'm sorry, English is not my main language so there will most likely be some errors.
> 
> Again aspecials thanks to http://www.springfieldspringfield.co.uk  
> They make life much easier by posting the scripts only. Saves me a lot of time.

Caroline was gone. They had taken her not just killed her or… They must have connected the dots. They’re after him. Claire! Matt started climbing the fire escape again running to the address where she was cat sitting. When he arrived, the door was busted open and there were signs of a struggle.  
“Damn it!” Matt took a chair and threw it through the room.  
He had failed to protect them both. Matt panted, how did they find Claire? She hadn’t gone to work for over a week.  
Santino.  
Matt left the building and started running to the building where Claire lives, with the frightened boy upstairs. When he arrived, his door was already open and the boy was sitting in a corner of the room. Curled up into a ball, shivering. When he noticed Matt in the room he tried to crawl more into the corner.  
“It's okay. It's me, Santino.” Matt slowly approached him.  
“Do you remember me?” The boy looked at him and recognition flashed across his face.  
“Yes.” Matt crouched next to him.  
“Claire and another girl have been taken by some very bad people. I need your help. Please.”  
“I didn't say anything. Not at first.” The boy muttered.  
“Then they took me up to the roof like you did with that man. They told me if I said anything to anyone they'd come back for my mother.”  
“Do you know where they took Claire?”  
“No. I'm sorry Those men are going to hurt her because of me.” The boy said with panic in his eyes. “No, it's not your fault, Santino. It's mine. Is there anything else you heard or saw? Anything that might help me find her?”  
“I saw them get into a taxi. But not in the back, in the front. Like it was theirs.” Matt’s heart leaped.  
“What was the company? Did you see a name?”  
“Veles. Veles Taxi.”

Caroline slowly awakened. She couldn’t move her hands. She remembered the ally, the attack. Shit.  
She tried to cast out her grid, but it was blurry. She couldn’t focus.  
They had sedated her, it still messed with her head.  
She heard a cry of pain.  
“You answer, he stops hitting you. Everyone is happy.” A man said with a thick accent.  
“I told you, I don't know who he is.” The man smashed something, glass.  
“Tell me his name.”  
“I don't know. He never told me. He never told me!” Caroline carefully opened her eyes. One was sticky, she could only open one. Claire was sitting in front of her, beaten. Bleeding heavily and clearly in pain. A big man stood in front of her with a bat in hand he gestured with it but another man stopped him.  
“Sergei, Vladimir told us not to kill her until she talks.” Caroline’s stomach turned at the name.  
“This gives me no pleasure. It really doesn't. But I have been given a job to do. So please, answer the questions that I was told to ask. Or I will begin breaking you, a piece at a time.”  
Caroline couldn’t help it she gasped. Which unfortunately turned their attention to her.  
“So, the other one is awake. Aren’t you lucky.” The man blinked in Claire’s direction. Claire looked with big eyes at Caroline. Eyeing her wounds, a question on her face.  
Caroline tried to attack them, she even tried to heal Claire but nothing worked, she couldn’t concentrate.  
The man walked closer to her and brought is face at eyelevel with hers.  
“He’s taking a liking to you, how many times has it been? Three times now. Surely you must know his name.”  
They knew about the first attack. Mike had been right, someone bigger was pulling the strings.  
She didn’t say anything, just looked him in the face.  
“Come on, we know you can talk. You screamed enough.”  
Caroline looked away, at Claire. Claire shook her head frightened.  
She never saw it coming. The first blow, it hit her hard across the face. She saw stars again.  
“Talk!”  
Another hit, blood filled her mouth. She spat it out.  
“Give us a name!”  
The next punch was in her stomach. The one after that in her face again, it broke her nose.  
Stomach, chest, face.  
Suddenly he folded his hands around her neck, squeezing. She couldn’t breathe.  
“What’s his name?”  
He squeezed harder painful, adrenaline started to kick in and cleared her head a bit. She spat him in the face. Heart racing, pumping more adrenaline in her system.  
“You fucking bitch!”  
Another hard fist against her face.  
“Pain doesn’t seem to affect her, Sergei. Let me have a try.”  
Another man came into view. Disfigured. Her heart sped up and a brick fell in her stomach.  
“Hello bitch, remember me?” He came closer, putting both hands on her thighs.  
“You’ll sing for me, right?” His hands crept higher and Caroline twisted and turned to get away.  
“What’s his name.” His face was so close to hers she couldn’t bare it anymore.  
She pushed her head forward as hard as she could. Headbutting him.  
He yelped and released her.  
“You bitch! When I’m done with you…”  
The lights suddenly turned off.  
“Mikhail, check the breaker. Check the breaker!”  
No one answered and the two men looked around.  
“Mikhail?” A yelp sounded in the distance with a loud crash. “Mikhail!”  
They grabbed their guns, not seeing much.  
Caroline could feel her clarity return, she threw out her grid and felt the persons around her again. Along with the ones that already got beat up. It gave her a rush and she started laughing.  
They looked at her like she was insane.  
“You want to know his name? Ask him yourself.”  
Fear crossed their faces and Caroline laughed some more.  
“Shut it!”  
She got hit in the face again, but she kept grinning. Healing herself, closing up her wounds before their eyes. She saw their fear growing.  
They started talking gibberish again, they split up clasping their guns tightly. Caroline saw how Claire had freed herself and came over to her. She untied her and together they hid behind a car.  
Hearing the fight continuing. Caroline started healing Claire, and she sighed at the release of pain.  
“Thank you.” She muttered. Her eyes turned big and looked at something behind Caroline.  
Before Caroline could react, someone pulled her up by her hair and held a knife to her throat.  
The masked man approached them. Seeing him in his threatening stance before her made her heart flutter. Relieved.  
“Let her go.” He growled his hands turning into fists.  
“Yeah, I thought so, that this one was special to you.” Caroline could feel his hot breath in her neck.  
The knife bit in her neck. She couldn’t attack him, if he jerked back her throat would be cut.  
“You’re going to let me walk out of here.” The man backed up and Caroline was forced to follow.  
“No, you aren’t.”  
“Oh, I think I am, if you want her in one piece again. Of course, after I have had my way with…” Caroline snapped. She grabbed his arm and severed his spinal cord. The man fell to the ground and she tried to keep his arm away from her throat.  
She didn’t succeed completely and it sliced a gash across her neck.  
“Caroline!”  
Caroline panted and dropped the man’s arm. Her attacker looked at her with sheer fear.  
“It’s okay.” She turned to the vigilante and healed her neck. “See?”  
The masked man crossed the distance and pulled her into a hug. Caroline could feel his heavy breathing and heart thrumming against her chest. She hugged him back. It felt… familiar, comforting.  
“You’re okay.” He whispered.  
“I’m okay.” She whispered back, surprised at the affection the vigilante was showing her.  
“I’m okay too. Thanks for asking.” Claire said trembling.  
Caroline and the vigilante jumped apart.  
“You two look better that I though you would.” The masked man said.  
“You can thank Caroline for that, although I don’t know why you waited so long.”  
“They sedated me, it was hard to focus with it still in my system.” Caroline explained.  
“Let’s get out of here.” The vigilante said.  
A few blocks further he halted us and went into an ally.  
“They know where who you are now, where you live.” He said.  
“I’m going out of state.” Claire said.  
“I’m going to stay with my mother for some time.” The vigilante nodded.  
“Go pack your things quickly, they won’t move to action tonight but you better be gone by tomorrow. I’ll let you know when it’s safe to come back.”  
Claire nodded and started to walk away, she halted.  
“Thank you for coming for us.” And with that she was out of view.  
Caroline turned towards the vigilante, blood crept down his neck.  
“You’re hurt.”  
“Don’t heal me, I’m fine.”  
“I know you’re fine I just want to help.”  
“Well, don’t.”  
Caroline got frustrated.  
“I thought we were past this!”  
Matt took a few steps back. She can’t heal him, she’ll sense the cut. Caroline looked angrily at him. Screw it! She threw out her grid and started healing him.  
“Don’t…!”  
She frowned, a cut called her attention. On his hand, between his index finger and thumb. Matt could hear her heart speed up. She noticed. Shit. Caroline approached him, he didn’t back away. It was too late. She took his hand and pulled off the glove. Her eyes dropped to the bandage that was tied with a bow. It can’t be. But he’s…  
She reached for his mask.  
“Caroline…”  
Her fingers touching the fabric, grasping it and pulling. Brown familiar eyes were underneath it. They couldn’t focus on anything. But they did show emotion, fear. Caroline gasped and took a few steps back, letting the mask fall to the ground. All the times he had come to the office injured, that wasn’t from falling. The hug, it had felt familiar, because she had hugged him before.  
“Matt.”  
Matt just stood there, his heart racing, what is she thinking? Caroline just stood there looking at him chocked. Matt, caring sweet and gentle, that same Matt was the hard, violent vigilante? But he was blind. But the masked man… Matt did tell her he could sense thing, didn’t he.  
Oh, my god, she had told him about her past. He knew. He knew she had powers. Shit, that’s why he didn’t want her to heal him. He knew she would sense the same wounds Matt had. The morning after he had saved her for the first time. The wound felt identical, because they were and she had ignored it, because he was freaking blind. The perfect alter ego. Nobody would suspect him, because he couldn’t see. How can a blind man be running around saving people?  
He had asked her out she realized. Was that real or just to keep an eye on her? That question caused a painful twist in her stomach.  
“Well shit.” Caroline said, she turned and started to walk away.  
Matt grabbed the mask and shoved it into his pocket before following her.  
“Caroline.” Matt tried.  
“Don’t, just don’t. I need time to think.”  
“Caroline, where are you going?”  
“Home.”  
“You can’t…”  
Caroline turned, furious.  
“Well where should I go Matt? Mike? Masked man, whoever you are.”  
Matt was nailed to the ground.  
Caroline sighed, rubbing her temples.  
“Look, I get it okay! I know and understand why you didn’t tell me. You don’t know me that long and it was so that in situations like tonight I wouldn’t be able to tell your name.”  
“Caroline.”  
“I just… need to think, okay.”  
“I understand, but you can’t go home.”  
“I know.”  
Matt looked at her. He knew she was confused but he needed to keep her safe.  
“Could you… would you be okay to stay with me? Just until the Russians back off.”  
Caroline sighed, she wasn’t stupid, she knew she couldn’t stay at her own place.  
“Jesus, Matt!” Caroline groaned and started walking away again.  
“Caroline?”  
“I’m just getting some stuff okay. Give me at least that.”  
“I’ll see you at my place.”  
Caroline didn’t hear any footsteps following her and she flagged a cab a few blocks further.  
Once in her apartment she got changed in her bedroom. She didn’t turn on the light in case they were watching her and for the same reason, she didn’t risk showering. So, she immediately grabbed a suitcase and started putting clothes in it. She moved to the living room to get her laptop.  
“Going somewhere?”  
Caroline jumped and turned on the light.  
Stark sat on the sofa, she hadn’t even seen him.  
“Jesus, Stark. Give me a heart attack much?” Caroline held a hand to her heart and heard it thrumming to her chest.  
“So, are you running?”  
“No, I’m just staying with a friend for a few days. What are you doing here anyway?”  
Stark tilted his head.  
“You weren’t answering your phone.”  
“Shit, my phone.” Caroline ran a hand through her long hair.  
“Lost it, already have you?”  
“No, it’s at a friend’s, I forgot it there.” Hopefully Matt had found it.  
“And who is this friend?”  
“Someone from my workplace.” Caroline answer.  
“Ah, Mister Nelson, mister Murdock or miss Page?” Caroline just looked at him, surprised that he knew where she worked.  
“What you didn’t think I would notice where you funnel my money to?”  
“I…”  
Stark raised a hand to stop her.  
“No worries, it’s your money. You do with it what you please, you earn it by being available for us. Which you won’t be when you’re at your friends.” Fuck, she forgot about that.  
“Listen, I can’t stay here okay. There’s something big going on in this city. I’ve been meddling but they know who I am now and where I live. If you need me just call and I’ll come over.”  
“You’ve been meddling how? Running around like a vigilante already? Somehow I doubt that.”  
“No, I’ve been helping the vigilante active here, but they took notice of that.”  
“You know who he is?” Caroline’s heart sped up. Matt Murdock, blind lawyer by day, kickass vigilante by night. Caring and kind, violent and hard. And she cared. She cared a great deal about that, him.  
“No.”  
“You sure?”  
“Yes, he’s been very secretive. Doesn’t trust me yet.”  
“Hmmm.” Stark stood up from the sofa and walked over to her.  
“Did he tell you to stay with a friend?”  
“Yes.”  
“Does the friend know why?”  
“I told his it’s because of a waterflooding.”  
Stark nodded.  
“As soon as you know who he is you’ll tell us?”  
“Yes.” She lied.  
“Well, then that’s that.”  
Stark walked to the door for the roof access.  
“You’re not ready to be playing with us hotshots yet, but you’re making progress. I figured you’d try and built a normal life for yourself. Guess I underestimated your capacities.”  
And with that he was gone.  
Caroline sighed. She wasn’t sure that was meant as a compliment or an insult. She finished packing and closed the door behind her.

-§-

With her heart thrumming against her chest she stood in front of the front door of Matt’s place. The encounter with Stark didn’t leave her much time to think about the situation with Matt.  
She stared at the number on his door. This will be awkward, living with him. At least she’ll get to heal him every time now. She sighed and raised her fist to knock on the door, hovering.  
Why couldn’t she bring herself to knock?  
The door opened, Matt was standing in the doorway. He was wearing a simple T-shirt and sweatpants.  
“Hi.”  
Caroline let her hand drop. He looked defeated, sad. He wasn’t wearing his glasses and his eyes lingered at her chest.  
“You are blind, right?”  
“Very much so.” He answered in a soft tone.  
“Good, or else I would have to punch you.” Matt looked surprised.  
“Well, are you going to let me in?”  
Matt opened the door wider and she passed him into the apartment. It was dark. Figures last time Karen had already been there so the lights were already on.  
Matt moved past her and flipped a switch. The lights were turned on. Caroline dropped her bag near the sofa. Matt moved to his fridge, smoothly avoiding every obstacle, and took out two beers. It was freaky to see him find everything like a not blind man. In the office, he could find his way without his cane but still felt for everything.  
Caroline sighed.  
“Okay, how do you do it?”  
Matt came back to her and gave her a beer. She took a swig from it.  
“You should get a shower. You have blood all over you.”  
“Okay how do you even know that?”  
“I can taste the copper in the air.”  
“You can taste…” Caroline sighed. “What are you a bloodhound? How do you know this stuff? How is it even possible?”  
Matt sighed and sat down on the sofa.  
“When I was nine I was in a car accident. A truck with chemicals tipped over and they got in my eyes. I think the combination of the chemicals and the fact that I’m blind, heightened my senses.”  
“Heightened how?”  
“I guess you have to think of it as more than just five senses. I can't see, not like everyone else, but I can feel. Things like balance and direction. Micro-changes in air density, vibrations, blankets of temperature variations. Mix all that with what I hear, subtle smells. All of the fragments form a sort of impressionistic painting.”  
Matt took another swig of his beer.  
“So, your brain forms some sort of phantom image?”  
“I guess you can call it that. But not like you do. You only see what’s in front of you, I see all that is around me.”  
“What does that look like? What do you actually see?”  
“A world on fire.”  
Caroline took another swig.  
“If all I saw was fire, I’d probably want to hit people too.” She muttered.  
Matt chuckled at that.  
“But the fighting, how’d you learn that? I doubt it’s the chemicals. And the way you can take a beating…”  
“The way I can take a beating, I’ve got from my dad.”  
“What, he was running around in a mask too?”  
“No, he was a boxer. He took a lot of beatings to tire his opponents out. It was his tactic.”  
Caroline smiled. “Where is he now?”  
“He died, a few months after I got blind.”  
“I’m sorry.”  
“It’s okay, I’ve given it a place.”  
“The fighting?”  
“After he died, my senses grew more intense, they overtook me. The nuns hired a blind man to guide me. Little did they know he would teach me how to be a fighter.”  
“You’ve been doing this since the age of nine?”  
“No, I’ve kept training, but I only took up the mask a few months ago.”  
Caroline nodded and took another swig.  
“Not that I’m doing much good. I feel I’m only making it worse.”  
“Tell that to the kid you saved. Or the other people you helped.”  
“And what do I tell you huh? Or Claire? I dragged you guys into this. I’ve let you guys get hurt.”  
Caroline heard his voice crack at that. She took his hand and placed it over her heart.  
“You feel that?” Matt nodded.  
“It’s still beating. Even though it was threatened to stop at 4 different occasions now. Claire’s is too. You didn’t ask her to drag you out of the dumpster, she did that herself. You didn’t ask me to meddle in your affairs, to heal you. I did that myself, because I wanted to.”  
Caroline looked at Matt.  
“I know what you’re trying to do here Matt. You want your city to be safe again and you risk your ass every time, doing it. That in itself matters.”  
Matt turned his hand away from her heartbeat and intertwined his fingers with hers. He rubbed his thumb across her hand. The gesture filled her with warmth, her stomach did some summersaults again. He’s been so honest. Caroline sighed.  
“Since you’ve been so honest with me I guess it’s my turn now.” She took a swig from her beer. A big one. Matt turned towards her.  
“Well, you know why I had to flee my hometown. But it wasn’t so easy as I told you, I had help.”  
She sighed again.  
“As you can imagine, the town didn’t take long to realize that the heart attacks were my doing. They were angry, furious. At the funeral of the baker, the priest overheard them plotting to attack the devil. Me.”  
“After all you had done?” Matt raised his eyebrows.  
“People don’t take long to turn against their hero’s. The priest knew my circumstances, took pity on me and warned me and my family. I don’t know how – I never got to ask her – but my mom got in contact with S.H.I.E.L.D.”  
“The founders of the avenger program?” Matt asked surprised.  
“Yep, the same one. They swooped in in the nick of time.”  
“That’s how you met Tony Stark.”  
Caroline nodded.  
“He said my powers held great promise and offered me a place in their program. My mom and sister needed to relocated somewhere else. I took the offer, I didn’t want them to be near… my corruption. I thought he was going to train me, help me control my powers. But instead he dropped me here, told me I should figure it out. Occasionally one of them stop by for healing.”  
“The apartment.”  
“Yeah, Stark thinks he’s so funny. I had told him that I didn’t like too much wealth. So, to taunt me he showers me with it.” Caroline grimaced and took another swig.  
“Giving you too much money, what an ass.” Matt chuckled.  
“Matt, there’s more.”  
“What?”  
“When he dropped me here, he warned me there was already a vigilante active here. He told me to figure out his identity.” Matt grip tightened in her hand. Not painful but she could feel the tension.  
“And when I went to my apartment to pack he was there. I had to explain some things, I didn’t pick up my phone for hours and I was packing, it looked bad. I told I was helping the vigilante and he asked me flat out if I know your identity.”  
Matt released her hand. He looked hurt.  
“Matt…”  
“It’s okay, I get it, you had to. I just wish…”  
“Matt…”  
Matt stood and started walk around his apartment.  
“Shit!”  
“Matt!”  
“What!”  
“Why do you assume I told him?”  
That made him stop dead in his tracks.  
“Because he saved you, you owe him your and your family’s lives. You don’t owe me anything.”  
“Matt… I didn’t tell him.”  
Matt was dumbfounded. She had discovered he had been lying to her. She could have sold him out to be part of a greater team. But she didn’t.  
“Why?”  
“Because Stark is an ass, and I do owe you something. My life, 4 times over now.”  
Matt approached her, knelt in front of her, between her legs. He took both of her hands in his.  
“Why would you risk their thrust, your family’s safety.”  
“Please, he’s an ass, but he’s a good guy, he won’t put my family at risk.”  
“Why Caroline?”  
“Because I care about you, Matt.” She whispered. But he heard it clear as day. His heart raced.  
“I… I care about you too.” He whispered back. They sat there for a few moments, in total silence, both their hearts racing.  
“Well I should clean myself up.”  
“Oh, eh yeah. You know where the shower is. I’ll take the sofa.”  
“Okay.”  
Later while Matt was in the sofa, he heard her crawl into bed and he couldn’t help but think that her smell mixed with his, that was stuck to his sheets, was the best thing he ever smelled.


	8. Dirty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fanfic will losely follow the main storyline. Various changes may be made.  
> This is my first fanfic so tips and feedback will be appreciated.  
> I'm sorry, English is not my main language so there will most likely be some errors.
> 
> Again aspecials thanks to http://www.springfieldspringfield.co.uk  
> They make life much easier by posting the scripts online. Saves me a lot of time.

Caroline woke up and stared at the ceiling. Her head hurt, like a train had ran over it. The memories of the events of last night started flooding in. Her head really freaking hurt. She grunted and tried to heal herself. This made her head hurt more.  
Great.  
She went over everything that had happened last night.  
Between training at the hospital until being saved from her abduction, she had not stopped using her powers. She must have pushed herself too hard.  
She touched the fabric of her sheets. Silk. Just like last time.  
Caroline chuckled, she hadn’t pegged Matt to be someone to have silk sheets.  
Matt.  
Her cheeks flushed as she remembered their conversation last night. The tension she had felt between them. He cared about her. And she cared about him.  
This made her cheeks flush extra red.  
But he was a vigilante, he had a whole other side to him that she doesn’t fully understand yet.  
Soft, caring, warm Matt, was also the ruthless, violent, cold vigilante.  
How can he be both?   
But he is, he had shown that yesterday. After knocking all the Russians out, he had run to her, held her. It didn’t make sense in that moment but now it does. And didn’t she have a side similar to his as well? She snapped her attacker’s spine, without blinking, she condemned him to be paralyzed from neck down. And worse, she didn’t regret it. Not one bit.  
The scent of coffee entered her nose.  
Caroline smiled and got up. Her head was worse standing up, a shower would help her.  
After the shower, she looked for her bag and to her horror she realized that it still stood in Matt’s living room. She didn’t want to wear the same things from yesterday, she had been bloody and sweaty underneath them. But she didn’t want to enter Matt’s living room with only a towel around her. When she still though he was completely blind it wouldn’t have mattered but he can sense things, he would sense that she was only covered with a towel.  
Caroline blushed again. Nope not an option.  
She scanned the room and saw an oversized shirt. Well oversized for her, for him it was perfect. With his muscular… Okay focus, putting on the shirt.  
She buttoned it up and it looked like a dress. The hem of the shirt ended halfway her thighs.  
It should do. Caroline exited his room.  
Matt stood with his back to her and was busy cooking something.  
“Good morning.” He said.  
Caroline frowned, she hadn’t made a sound, his vision must really be 360 degrees.  
“Good morning.” She took a chair and sat at the counter to watch him cook. He didn’t have his glasses on, and somehow seeing his brown eyes made her heart beat faster.  
Matt tilted his head.  
“You’re wearing one of my shirts.” He said surprised.  
Caroline’s cheeks flushed. Again.  
“Yeah, my bag with my things is over there and I didn’t have anything clean with me in the room.”  
Caroline pointed at her bag by the sofa. “I hope you don’t mind.”  
“Not at all.” Matt chuckled. He didn’t mind a t all. He had worn that shirt the day before and his scent and hers intertwined. And it was the best thing he had ever smelled. Like yesterday, while she was sleeping in his sheets. I his bed. He could have… Focus on the eggs, Matt.  
“So… Silk sheets huh?” Caroline said, with a laugh hidden in her tone.  
Matt laughed.  
“It’s not to impress women if that’s what you think. Normal sheets feel like sandpaper on my skin. My heightened senses aren’t always a blessing.”  
“Oh, makes sense I guess.” Caroline smiled.  
Matt took out two plates and put on each, half of his dish.  
“I hope you like it.”  
Caroline looked at the plate and saw it was half an omelet with cheese, tomato’s, mushrooms and peppers. It smelled delicious. She took a bite and moaned.  
“I love it! How do you make it taste so good?” She exclaimed while going for another bite.  
Matt chuckled and hesitated.  
He listened to her excitement, she already knows everything, he could be completely honest with her. She hadn’t turned away from him. Not yet.  
“Well, it starts with buying the ingredients. I look for products that are untouched by chemicals. Or at least that I can’t smell or taste them anymore. And while preparing it it’s all about smelling and feeling when the different tastes of the ingredients have reached their peak in flavor and harmonize them together with herbs.”  
Caroline laughed.  
“So basically, you cook with your senses? Like everyone?”  
Matt chuckled.  
“Although you take it to the next level. You can taste if it’s good without taking a bite, right?”  
“Yes.”  
“Well, it’s safe to say…” Caroline approached him until her face was right in front of his. “while I’m staying here, you’re cooking.”  
Matt smiled widely. Caroline returned to her dish and ate it all. Savoring each bite.  
After they had done the dishes, Matt went to shower and Caroline took something from her bag to put on.  
She had to wait a bit after she was dressed, but not long after, Matt left his room fully dressed and with his glasses on.  
Caroline tilted her head.  
“So, I guess you can sense if your hair is in place and your clothes are okay. But can you sense colors?”  
“When I go to the store to buy the clothes, I rely heavily on the salesperson or on Foggy. The colors are difficult, I can taste and smell them while they’re still new, but after washing them multiple times I can’t make them out anymore.”  
Matt smiled.  
“Besides I still can’t see them so I don’t know if two colors match. I have a vague idea but not really accurate. That’s why I go for neutral colors and I have to put a tag on them to know which color they are.”  
“You can taste and smell colors? How?”  
“Over time I learned to recognize them. When I try something on the salesperson describes it to me. So, I have learned to match colors to its chemicals.”  
Caroline laughed. “That’s pretty cool.”  
Matt smiled back.  
“Ready to go to work?” Caroline said while extending her arm.  
“Yes.” He placed his hand directly above her elbow, as a normal blind person would do and they left the apartment.

“So, coming in for work together now, are we?” Foggy said smiling.  
“It’s nothing like that Foggy. There is a flooding problem at Caroline’s apartment. She’s just staying with me for a few days.”   
“Oh, she staying with you, is she?” Foggy winked at Caroline and she turned to take off Matt’s coat to hide her blush.  
“Yes, for a few days.” Matt said. “It’s not a crime, is it?”   
“Not at all.” Foggy said.  
After hanging Matt’s coat up Caroline quickly went to work.  
Her headache worsened with each hour that passed and Caroline couldn’t stifle a moan.  
With her head in her hands while rubbing her temples, she didn’t hear Matt approach.  
“Why don’t you heal yourself?” He whispered.  
Caroline jerked up and scanned the room. There was no one there but Matt. Of course, he would be careful when mentioning her powers.  
“I can’t, I used my powers too much last night, I think I strained them.”  
Matt tilted his head and went to the kitchen.  
When he returned, he had a glass of water in one hand and a painkiller in the other.  
Caroline grimaced but took the pill and swallowed it with the water.  
“I never had to do that before.” She said with a face.  
“Well it had to be done, you’re in too much pain.”  
“How did you know?”  
Matt hesitated and tilted his head. Foggy was busy with his files and Karen with her computer.  
“Your muscles are tense from the pain, your heart rate is slightly elevated and I heard you groan and bury your face in your hands.” He whispered.  
“Murdock, have you been keeping an eye on me?”  
Matt chuckled.  
“Not really an eye, but an ear so to speak.”  
Caroline blushed.  
“Do you have Ed’s file for me?” he asked suddenly.  
Caroline jerked and reached for the folder on her desk. She didn’t have to wonder long why he suddenly changed the subject. Foggy opened his door to go get some coffee.  
Caroline handed Matt the file and he went to his office.  
“Thank you.” She whispered under her breath. Right before Matt disappeared in his office her threw her a smile.  
Caroline smiled as well and felt how the pain in her head started to go numb already.

The day went by fairly uneventful.   
When Caroline was about ready to leave, she wondered if she would have to ask for Matt’s key or if he would leave with her. But Matt already answered that for her by leaving his office and asking if she was ready to leave. Caroline nodded and helped him with his coat.  
She guided his hand just above her elbow and wished Foggy a good night. He was standing in his doorframe and gave her another wink before she left the office with Matt.  
At his home, he cooked her another delicious meal. Afterwards while she was doing the dishes, she saw how Matt took out a heavy looking box from his closet. He took out the top half and fished his masked vigilante out of the bottom.  
“So, you’re going out tonight?”  
Caroline asked. Matt nodded and disappeared in his bedroom to get changed.  
While Caroline put away the last of the dishes he came out with his mask in hand.  
“Are you planning to go training tonight?”  
“No, I’m going to let my head rest a bit.”   
“Okay.” He sounded relieved.  
“So, what’s the plan?”  
“I think I’m going to try and find Vladimir, see if I can get something out of him about Fisk.”  
Caroline’s stomach turned when she heard the name.  
“Well good luck with that.”  
Matt nodded and put on the mask. She saw him put it on and she knew it was Matt underneath, but it was like he turned into another person when the mask was on. Colder.  
She approached him and touched his arm.  
“Be careful okay? I still think this suit is pretty crappy in protecting you.”  
Matt smiled, took her hand in his and squeezed gently.  
“Don’t worry. I know how to take care of myself.”  
“I know.” She muttered. He squeezed her hand again and went for the door.  
He also had a roof access and saw him disappear through it. She tried not to think in what state he would return so she took out a book from her bag and put some earphones in to play some music.  
She felt her eyes getting heavy rather quickly. Thinking that some rest would do her powers some good she put away the book and succumbed to the darkness.  
Caroline jerked awake when she heard a door close.  
Her playlist had stopped and she took out the earphones.  
“Matt?”  
“Yeah.”   
Caroline looked up and saw him descending the stairs from the roof.  
He took off his mask and sighed.  
“Are you hurt?” Caroline stood from the sofa and wanted to help him.  
“No, just a few scratches, nothing to worry about.”  
Caroline’s head felt a lot better and she threw out her grid, he was right, just a few scratches. She carefully tried to heal him. Her head didn’t start hurting.  
“Caroline.” Matt sighed.  
“I was just checking if I could do it without a major headache. And I can.”  
She said quickly.  
Matt nodded and went to the sofa to sit down. Caroline followed suit and sat down again as well.  
“Everything okay?”  
Matt grunted.  
“Something’s going on and I don’t understand what.”  
“Tell me.”  
“So, I found some Russian thugs, roughed them up a little to get the information I need but I barely needed to lift a finger for them to cower in fear.”  
Caroline frowned at that.  
“I’ve got one cornered and he starts begging for his life, begging that I don’t take his head off. So I ask him what he means by that. Apparently, everyone knows that I decapitated Vladimir’s brother. Only problem is that I did no such thing.”  
“Why…?”  
“Because the person that did doesn’t want all the Russians after him, so he let it look like me.”  
“So…”  
“So, I’m guessing I’m on the top of their find and kill list.”  
“Great.”  
Matt sighed.  
“Did you get the info?”  
“No, I just left him there. I needed to think.”  
Caroline looked at Matt. He looked lost.  
“You’ll figure it out, Matt. You’ll figure it out and then you’ll stop them.”  
Matt smiled.  
“We should get some rest.” He said.  
“We should.”  
Caroline stood the go to bed.

Foggy didn’t give any more remarks when they arrived together the next day. But did smile knowingly which made Caroline smile.  
Karen had bought a lot of old machines in the company’s name. Machines that they needed but they were old, more like ancient and had cost too much for their value. Matt and Foggy hadn’t made a big deal about it, knowing that she had done it with good intentions.  
But Matt had said that the next time she should take Caroline with her, for better judgement.  
Caroline didn’t let the firm pay for it. It was too much, it would take a lot out of the funds that confederate global had given them. So, she paid for it with her own resources. Glad that Stark won’t know exactly what it was for.  
Caroline didn’t have to much trouble using the machines. She grew up with old stuff, but Foggy and Karen had more trouble.  
Caroline heard the machine beeping.  
“No! Oh, my God. You don't make any sense!” Karen shouted. Foggy came to stand next to her and laughed.   
“Whoa, be nice to it. You know, for when the machines take over.” Caroline stood to go look as well.   
“I can't get any of this crap I bought to work.”  
“What do you want to do?” Caroline asked.  
“I just needed some copies.” Caroline took the papers put them in, pressed a few buttons and sure enough a few moments later the machine spit out the copies.  
“How do you do that?” Karen said with big eyes.  
“Magic?” Caroline said while wiggling her fingers in front of them. Foggy laughed.  
“Oh, god I’m useless.” Karen sighed.  
“Bad time to mention the phones?” Foggy said and Karen sighed.   
“All I hear when I try to dial is a bunch of clicks. Could be the machines plotting, but I don't speak computer overlord.”  
“No, it's the rats.” Caroline said.   
“The who what now?” Foggy said surprised.   
“They chewed through the main line. Phone guy's working on it now.” Karen continued. “Exterminator's Monday.” Caroline said.   
“We have rats now. I'm never sleeping here again.”  
“Then there's an upside.” Caroline laughed.  
Matt came towards them.   
“Hey, you guys hear anything on the news about a Russian getting his head cut off?”  
Caroline looked surprised at Matt.  
“In Hell's Kitchen?” Foggy asked.   
“This city.” Karen sighed while shaking her head.   
“Bad enough you get mugged, now they chop your melon off. What's next, groping corpses?” Foggy said.   
Someone knocked on the door and an elderly woman entered. She looked a bit overwhelmed.  
“Excuse. Is this, um Señor Foggy law?”  
“Yes ma’am.” Caroline said and she approached the woman. The woman smiled at her.  
“Bess Mahoney?”   
“Brett's mom?” Foggy asked.   
“Sí, she refer me.” The woman started to explain in Spanish that Foggy gives her cigars sometimes.   
“Foggy is that how you bribe officer Mahoney? By buying cigars for his mom?” Caroline laughed.  
“You know Spanish?” Foggy said surprised.   
“Yeah I was close with a Spanish exchange student in high school. We always kept writing and calling each other.” Matt smiled at her.  
Caroline told the woman to follow her to the conference room. She introduced herself as Mrs. Cardenas. Caroline went to grab a coffee for her. When she returned, Foggy was speaking.   
“Mrs. Cardenas, tell us what happened.”  
“Mi casa es rent-control. But the landlord, Señor Tully…”   
“Armand Tully?” Foggy asked. “Sleaze bag owns buildings all over town.”   
“Sí, y señor Tully.” She started explaining in Spanish how he wants to rebuild the apartments into condominiums. So, he needs the tenants to leave their apartments.  
Caroline translated it all for Foggy, Matt and Karen.  
Mrs. Cardenas continued in Spanish explaining that men claiming to be workers came by and started to destroy their apartments which made many unlivable.   
“And they destroyed the apartments with a… I don't know that last word.” Caroline tried to translate the last word but she couldn’t remember.  
“Sledgehammers.” Matt said. Caroline looked surprised at him.  
“College.” He explained.  
“You ever have a client that wants to chat in Punjabi, I'm your man.” Foggy said.  
“Um Do you want to do this?” Caroline asked Matt, a bit embarrassed that she had been translating for someone who understood it all.  
“No, no. I like listening to your voice.” Matt said with a smile. Foggy sighed at that and Caroline had to push a blush away.  
“Go on, Mrs. Cardenas.” Foggy said.   
“There is damage, en todas partes.” She said.  
“Everywhere.” Caroline translated.   
Mrs. Cardenas switched to Spanish again.  
“They have no working sinks or pipes. They don't have water or electricity for days.”   
“We call policía. We speak to the officer.” Mrs. Cardenas tried explaining in English but switched to Spanish again.  
“The police couldn't help.” Caroline said.   
“Policía say, ‘It is a city issue. ‘” Mrs. Cardenas continues speaking in Spanish.   
“They don't know what to do.”   
“This says Tully offered them 10,000 to give up their rent control and vacate the premises.” Foggy waved to a paper on the desk. “Maybe we can pressure him into giving a better payout.”   
“No, Señor Foggy. We do no want money. We want to stay in our homes.”  
Matt started speaking in Spanish to Mrs. Cardenas. Explaining he and Foggy will take the case and try their best to solve this. Caroline started smiling at that. Foggy looked suspiciously at her and Matt.  
Mrs. Cardenas started thanking them vigorously.   
“This way, Mrs. Cardenas.” Caroline said while helping the elderly woman towards the door.   
“I heard you say my name. Why'd you say my name?” Foggy asked Matt.   
“I told her you're going to talk to Tully's lawyer.”   
“Tully's lawyer?” Foggy said with sheer horror on his face. “Do you know who reps him?”   
Matt chuckled. “Yeah, I know.”   
“Landman and Zack! Landman and mother-freakin' Zack, man!” Foggy exclaimed.   
“Ooh, sounds impressive. Are they looking to hire?” Karen said smiling.   
“Oh, you wouldn't be happy. We used to intern there.” Matt said laughing.   
“Oh, right. And they offered us a job, a great job. Which we turned down to go off and save the world. Now they hate us. We'll need to load for bear if we're gonna take them on.” Foggy said with fake amusement.   
“I'll hit the precinct to check for complaints against Tully.” Matt said.   
“I can't go to L and Z alone. They're gonna shark attack me, Matt. Look at me, I'm delicious.”   
“Well, take Karen.” Matt suggested.  
“I mean, yeah, if she wants to.” Foggy said stammering.   
“Oh sure. Never seen sharks feed up close before.” Karen said chuckling.  
“Try not to splash too much. It attracts 'em.” Caroline said. Matt and Karen started laughing.   
“You are all so funny.” Foggy mumbled.  
Shortly after Foggy and Karen left the office. Matt started to prepare to leave to.  
“Hey Caroline, you want to come with me?”  
“But the office…”  
“We have a case now, we can afford to close up for a while.”   
“Of course, I want to come.” Caroline said.

A few moments later they entered the precinct. Matt had his hand just above Caroline’s elbow, so it looked like she was guiding him.  
“Officer Mahoney is just up ahead.” Caroline said to him. Matt nodded and they walked up to him. “Look who it is, Murdock.” The man looked at Caroline and empathy flashed across his face briefly. Caroline knew he was thinking about the incident.   
“And you brought your associate. Should I be worried?”  
Matt laughed.   
“Sergeant how's your mom?”   
“Good. Smells like a stogie. Otherwise.”   
“Um Yeah, I keep telling Foggy not to get her cigars, but…”   
“She'd sneak 'em one way or the other. Crafty old bird.”   
Caroline smiled at their cheerful banter. The sergeant seemed to be a lot friendlier to Matt then Foggy. She wondered if it’s because of the blindness.  
“Right, it's why I'm here. Friend of hers has a case we're looking into.”   
“You going after Tully?” Brett said surprised.  
“Yeah, you know him?”   
“Yeah. Yeah, guy's a real scumbag. But he stays just this side of ordinance, so there's nothing we can do.” Brett sighed.   
“Can you pull some copies of the complaints? Maybe get me a minute or two with the officers who took them?”   
“You really think you and Foggy can help?”   
“Yeah, we can try.” Matt smiled.   
“Let me see what I can find.”   
“Thank you.”   
Caroline ‘guided’ Matt to a bench so that they could wait for officer Mahoney.  
“So, you guys know each other for long?” Matt didn’t react. He was listening in on another conversation. She could see it at the way he held his head.  
Caroline touched his arm. “What is it?” She whispered.  
“They’re interrogating a Russian.” Matt concentrated on what they were saying.  
“Now, I just want you to tell me again how did it start. We have you at the scene with a dead Chinese illegal, Piotr. And a backpack full of drugs. Uh-oh, that'll buy you a one-way ticket to 30 years in Asshole Land. It'll give you some time to touch up on those tattoos. You boys do that to yourselves or do you all get shirtless and poke each other?” A man said. Matt realized he was talking to the man who had told him they tough he had decapitated Vladimir’s brother.  
“Do you know who I work for?” The man said with a heavy Russian accent.   
“Couple of dipshit brothers nobody gives a wank about.” The man said.  
“Bye-bye, dickhead. Enjoy your next 30.” Another man said, also an officer.   
“Wait. What if I give you another name?” The Russian said.  
“Give you another name?” The man repeated.   
“He'd have to be big. He'd have to be King freakin' Kong.” The colleague said.   
“He is. His name is Wilson Fisk. Wilson Fisk.” Matt could hear the hearts of the two officers speed up. They knew the name? Was the force already looking into him?  
“They’re talking about Fisk.” Matt whispered and he could hear how Caroline’s heart sped up as well.  
“What are they saying?” she whispered back. Matt shook his head and listened again.  
“Well, what else do you know about this guy?”  
“Not much. No one even supposed to say his name. But I will tell you everything I know for deal.” The Russian said.   
"For deal. " The man repeated mockingly.  
“Whose turn is it?” The other said.   
“Yours.”   
“I thought I took it for that thing in the bodega?”  
“Oh, shit, yeah. All right, wait, wait.” Matt could hear how their heartbeats sped up some more and how their muscles tightened. Adrenaline started flowing through their body’s. What the fuck is going on?   
“Okay, go on.” The man sighed. “Go on.”  
Matt could feel how the one of the men punched the other in the face and he suddenly realized what was going on. The men started shouting.  
“Watch out! Jeez, he's going for my gun! Watch out!” The man screamed. “He's got my gun!”  
Matt could feel how the Russians heart started beating faster in fear and he stood as he sensed that the officer was now pointing a gun towards the Russian.  
“They’re going to shoot the Russian.” Matt whispered. Matt wanted to walk over there but Caroline took his arm and pulled him in a hug. Matt was surprised by the hug and was so confused by it he didn’t push her out of the way. He heard the man whimpering.   
“You really shouldn't have said his name.” The officer said before pulling the trigger. The gunshot was heard across the precinct, Caroline flinched at the sound of it. Holding Matt tighter. The precinct was suddenly chaos as they all ran to the interrogation room.   
“We got shots fired.” An officer said while passing them by.  
Matt’s fists clenched by his sides. Caroline could hear him grit his teeth. He was mad, furious and she knew part of that anger was towards her. Because she had stopped him. She felt tears prickling in her eyes. Good, she was going to need them.  
“Are you guys, okay?” Brett asked hesitantly. He had returned to them.  
“Yeah, yes.” Caroline said sobbing.  
“I’m sorry Sergeant. While we were waiting, I remembered…” Caroline choked on her voice.  
“That’s okay miss. I understand.” He turned his attention to Matt.  
“Matt, you’ll have to come back later. The precinct is a mess. There was just a shooting in an interrogation.”  
Matt nodded, his teeth still clenched.  
Caroline took his arm and put it above her elbow.  
“Thank you, sergeant Mahoney.” Caroline said with a small voice and she guided Matt outside.  
While walking across the street, Matt remained silent, angry vibes coming from him.  
“Matt…”  
“Why’d you stop me?” He said, anger in his voice.  
“Matt, we were surrounded by cops. What were you going to do? Barge in and stop them?”  
Matt remained silent.  
“How were you going to explain that you knew what they were going to do? And do you really think you would have saved that guy? Sure, those guys would be stopped but since they just killed a man for saying the wrong name, I’m guessing they’re dirty cops and they had to do that before.”  
Caroline’s started hammering in her chest again.  
“Do you really think that they are the only ones? They must have more dirty cops for it to go unnoticed. Then what? He would have been killed in his cell like they tried with Karen. The guy would have been dead anyway and everyone would have known your secret.”  
Caroline concluded.  
“It was already suspicious enough that you stood up without explanation or reason to. That’s why I hugged you and faked my tears. Matt for everyone except me you’re blind. You’re not supposed to react in certain ways.”  
Matt sighed and nodded.  
They continued their walk towards his apartment. It was getting late and there was no sense in going to work again. Matt remained silent the whole way. When they were almost there Caroline couldn’t bare it anymore.  
“You’re still mad.” She said.  
“Yes.” Matt said but before she could react he spoke up again.  
“I’m not mad at you Caroline. You’re right, everything would have blown up in my face and for nothing. I’m mad at the fact that the precinct is so corrupted that they can kill a man on its grounds without repercussions. I’m mad because that was the guy from last night, the one I didn’t press for information, which he clearly had. I’m mad because you were standing only a few feet away from a shooting and I couldn’t do shit about it.”  
“Matt...” Matt interrupted her by shaking his head.  
“Listen!” She said frustrated. “I’m not some delicate flower you need to protect all the time okay. I know how to stand my grounds and I do so more and more every day. I saved your ass back there, if I hadn’t been there you would have done something stupid.”  
Matt sighed.  
“Matt, we look out for each other okay? Can we agree on that? You save me and I save you?”  
Matt turned to face her. He reached out a hand and touched her cheek.  
“Do we have a deal?”  
“Yes.”   
“Good. Now we need to get to your apartment.”  
Caroline turned away from his hand and guided him further down the street.  
“Why?”  
“You need to get in your get-up and pay a certain officer a visit.”


	9. Cornered

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fanfic will losely follow the main storyline. Various changes may be made.  
> This is my first fanfic so tips and feedback will be appreciated.  
> I'm sorry, English is not my main language so there will most likely be some errors.
> 
> Again aspecials thanks to http://www.springfieldspringfield.co.uk  
> They make life much easier by posting the scripts online. Saves me a lot of time.

Caroline didn’t have to wait long before Matt returned.  
He threw a phone towards her the moment he entered. She caught it and started looking through it.  
“There’s nothing in this. No numbers no contacts.”  
“It’s a burner. Like the one I have. It was buzzing when I took it, did someone leave a message?”  
“No, no missed calls. It was a text.”  
Matt approached her.   
“What does it say?”  
Caroline opened the text.  
“It’s a list of locations. Four of them. 47th and 12th. 48th and 9th. 42nd and 10th. 44th and 11th.”  
“44th and 11th?”  
“Yeah.”  
“Troika restaurant.”  
Caroline pained her brain why it sounded familiar. Suddenly she remembered the man they had tortured.  
“Where they were holding that boy?”  
“These addresses, they’re listing where the Russians are.”  
Caroline jerked her head up.  
“Where did you get this?”  
“That cop, who shot the Russian. That text arrived while we were having a chat. I’m betting that I’ll find Vladimir at one of them” Matt started to go towards the door again.  
“Matt, wait, just… What are you going to do?” Caroline grabbed his arm to stop him.  
“Whatever it takes.”  
“You don’t mean that. You can’t cross that line Matt. Believe me the other side of that line sucks.”  
Caroline whispered and Matt took her hand in his.  
“Caroline, I can’t let them win.”  
“Then don’t! But promise me you’ll try everything you can not to cross that line to win.”  
Matt hesitated.  
“Promise me Matt.” She whispered.  
“Listen, I promise I’ll try everything not to. I promise you that Caroline. But I also promise that I’ll cross it if it means keeping everyone safe, keeping you safe.”  
Caroline felt tear prickling behind her eyes.  
“And I swear to you, to everyone, to god that I’ll hate myself for doing it. I don’t want to cross that line, Caroline.”  
Caroline nodded.  
“Be careful.” She whispered. Matt nodded and left.  
Caroline waited for hours, she couldn’t read a book, she couldn’t surf, even music irritated her. She needed him to return. Soul intact. She didn’t want to corrupt him in thinking that this was okay.   
She still hadn’t heard from him, it was hours since he left. Maybe he was fighting? Maybe he was hidden and couldn’t call? Maybe he was too badly wounded? Maybe he was…  
Caroline couldn’t finish her line of thought. Multiple loud bangs sounded outside and the ground shook beneath her. Dust crumbled from ceiling. Sirens sounded. Cries. Screams.  
Caroline bolted to the roof access. The stupid billboard blocked all the view. A red glow hung in the air and her heart hammered through her chest. She neared the edge of the roof and what she saw took her breath away.  
A world on fire.

-§-

Foggy and Karen had both called her. She calmed them down, saying that she and Matt were fine. Her stomach twisted because she didn’t really know that. Did she…  
Karen and Foggy were at the hospital. Caroline made up an excuse that they couldn’t leave the building for now but they would be there as soon as possible.  
She lost her patience after the call and she called Matt’s burner phone. He didn’t answer.  
Caroline was going mad with worry. What the hell was she supposed to do now? The city was on fire, chaos everywhere and Matt was running around in it… blind. Sure, he could see in another way but it didn’t make him less blind.   
She opened her laptop to followed the news. They said it was gas leaks. The addresses. Her heart nearly stopped beating. They were the same as in the text. Oh no no no. What if…?  
She put on her coat and ran outside. While running through the streets she called Claire.  
“Claire?”  
“Yes, who is this?”  
“It’s Caroline.”  
Caroline heard sirens in the background.  
“Are you back in the city?”  
“Yeah I know it was a stupid call but I was going mad at my mothers.”  
“Well don’t worry about it. The Russians are out.”  
“Since when?”  
“Since the city is on fire. Those ‘gas leaks’? All the addresses where the Russians are at. Even if they survived, I don’t think you’ll be at the top of their list.”  
Claire cursed.  
“He could have told me that.”  
“Have you spoken to him?”  
“Yes, a few minutes ago, he needed my help in stabilizing one of the Russians. Vladimir.”  
Relief washed over Caroline he was alright. Immediately after the relief, anger consumed her. He called Claire! Over her. Fury ran through her veins.  
“Claire, can you tell me about his wounds?”  
“Why?”  
“Claire, I know this is farfetched, but I need you to thrust me on this one. I need to know his wounds.”  
Claire hesitated but eventually described them to her.  
Caroline thanked her and disconnected the call. She rushed to the first address and threw out her grid. She winced at all the people who were hurt and it itched the back of her neck to help them. But she couldn’t not now. She ignored all the injured and searched for someone with wounds like Claire described. Not at this address. She hurried to the next one.  
Fucking stubborn bastard. They had a freaking deal. He was supposed to call her if he needed her. Not freaking Claire. Caroline screamed in frustration. People didn’t notice, everyone was screaming.   
Her grid was bigger, wider. She kept scanning while walking and when she almost arrived at the second location she found the one with the wounds. And with him was another person, just a few scratches but healthy. And she recognized him. She went to that building.  
There were cops in front of the building. She moved to the back were there were two cops guarding the back exit.  
Caroline didn’t know where this power came from but she made them have a blind spot where she was walking. Fueled by her fury she passed them and entered the building without them knowing.  
She heard voices on the second floor and she knew they were there.   
“Vladimir the name!”  
“His name.” she heard coughing “His name… His name is… This is not how it die!”  
“Stop!” Caroline shouted. She had arrived on the second floor. The man had hit Matt and was about to do it again but he was frozen in his movements. Caroline froze him into a statue.  
Matt turned to her.  
“Caroline?”  
“You!” She screamed.  
“You call Claire instead of me! We had a deal asshole!”  
Matt looked surprised at her. She saw how his shoulders began to hang.  
“I knew if I called you…”  
“That I would come running! Of course I would! Have you any idea what I’ve been through! I thought you were dead, jackass!”  
“Caroline.”   
“Don’t freaking Caroline me! Do you know in what kind of pile of shit you are in! You’re surrounded, everyone knows you’re here!” Caroline looked at the officer laying limb on the floor.  
“I’m guessing that was his doing?”  
Matt nodded.  
“And tell me Matt how did he find you?”  
“I…”  
“Could it be because of the fact that you burned that piece of shit to save him and he fucking screamed for the whole freaking neighborhood? Which you could have easily avoided if you had contacted me! INSTEAD OF CLAIRE!”  
Fury took reign over her body she felt the energy rippling through her skin. She knew that feeling and she knew what came after it. Do not let the devil out, Caroline.  
She screamed and the energy flew off her like a bomb that had gone off, it made the building shake and the floorboards gave out under them.  
The three of them crashed through multiple floors until they hit the hard-concrete floor.

-§-

Caroline groaned. Her body ached all over. She tried to heal herself but it took to much energy. She let it go. It was luckily just cuts and bruises nothing too serious.  
She heard someone else groan.   
“Caroline?” She turned towards the sound and she saw Matt pushing some wood out of the way.  
“Yeah…”  
He hurried over to her and took her in his arms. She felt his heart hammer against her chest.  
“Are you okay?” he whispered.  
“Yeah…” She gently pushed him away. She scanned the room for the Russian. She found him but his heart wasn’t beating. And hers almost stopped as well.  
“Shit!” She ran towards him putting her ear against his chest.  
“Shit, shit, shit.”  
Fuck the limits, she thought and she put her hands to his chest clawing at the energy inside her. It didn’t want to budge but she forced it to. She can’t kill another man.  
“Caroline.”  
She ignored Matt and clawed, pulled, tore at her pool of energy until finally she could channel some through her hands and into the man’s chest.  
It took a second but his heart started up again.  
Caroline let go of her powers and felt drained. But satisfied. He lived.  
“Caroline, your nose, it’s bleeding.”  
She touched her face, looked at her fingertips and saw the blood.   
“Well I had to pull a bit hard but the jackass lives.”  
The man coughed and opened his eyes.  
“What, what…” He looked at Caroline with big eyes. Did she see fear in them? She hated to admit it but she kinda liked it.  
“You died.” Matt said and he pointed at Caroline. “The lady brought you back.”  
“You can’t even let me die.” The man said with a thick accent to Matt.  
“Wasn’t my call. And no, I wouldn’t have let you either. Not until you give me what I need on Fisk.”  
The man looked at Caroline again. Now not only with fear in his eyes but also curiosity.  
“How did you do that?”  
Caroline looked at him coldly.  
“None of your business.”  
“Not angry anymore? You looked pissed earlier. Pissed at him.” Vladimir pointed at Matt.  
Caroline kept giving him a cold stare. She felt the anger flaring up again but tried to calm it.  
“Caroline, can you come over here please.” Matt said softly. She looked at Matt furiously but obeyed.  
“What?” she snapped.  
“I’m sorry, you’re right, I should have called you. But everything is such a mess. Dirty cops and now a city on fire, just to take the Russians out? This is big and I didn’t want to drag you into it.”  
“I’m already in it M… Mask. I told you.” She bit her tongue not to say his name.  
“I know. I just wanted to keep you safe, I hate the thought of you being in danger.”  
“And what do you think I hate Mask? Your costume doesn’t keep you safe, not as it should be doing. But do I tell you not to go? No, I don’t. And I care about you, a lot. So, don’t you freaking dare keeping me out of this shit again. I can handle myself.”  
“Yeah I saw that.” Matt chuckled.  
Caroline smiled a bit but bit it away.  
“And not only that, but then asking Claire for help? Seriously?”  
Matt sighed.  
“I needed his sorry ass to be alive.” Matt pointed at Vladimir, who was looking at them. No doubt hearing every word.  
“Yeah well, keeping people alive and healing them is my freaking specialty, okay. Especially if it needs to be quick, painless and without a freaking sound.”  
“I know.”  
“I hope you do.”  
Matt touched her shoulder and stroked it all the way to her hand. The anger was slowly ebbing out of her system. It was like being mad at a freaking puppy. Impossible even if he just ruined your best slippers. Caroline sighed and gave his hand a squeeze.  
“You save me and I save you?” Matt whispered.  
“I save you and you save me.” Caroline repeated she leaned in and touched his forehead with hers. Breathing in his scent as the last of her anger melted away like snow for the sun.  
Vladimir started laughing, then coughing and then coughing blood.  
“What’s so funny jackass?” Caroline sneered.  
“You two. In the middle of all this rubble with police outside.”  
Caroline looked at him coldly. He shuddered under the icy look.  
“I’ll tell you one thing mask. Don’t piss this one off again. I’m not sure you’ll survive.”  
“Not planning to.”  
Screeching filled the space they were in. Then some noise and suddenly a voice.  
“I’d like to speak to the man in the mask please.”  
Matt and Caroline looked at each other and then searched the room. She found the radio of the cop.  
“Hello?” the voice said.  
“If this is who I think it is, the force is dirtier than we thought. He talking via a police radio.” Caroline whispered.  
Matt took the radio from her.  
“Are you there?” Matt brought the radio closer to his face. Caroline stopped him.  
“What are you doing? You’re going to talk to him?”  
“I want to hear what he has to say.”  
“This is a bad idea. A really bad idea.”  
“Can you hear me?” The voice sounded again.  
“I know.” Matt said. Caroline released his hand and Matt brought the thing to his face again. A feeling a dread started to pool in Caroline’s stomach.  
“Who is this?” Matt said.  
“I think you know. You've been asking about me. I thought it was time we spoke.” Caroline’s eyes widened, it was who she thought it was. This is not good.  
“Say your name.” Matt said.  
“You first.” Matt remained silent.   
“That's what I thought. You and I have a lot in common.”   
“We're nothing alike.” Matt growled.   
“That's what you'll tell yourself.”   
“You're feeding off this city like a cancer.”   
“I want to save this city, like you, only on a scale that matters.”   
“Now, tell that to the people you've hurt.”   
“Young man, life is not a fairy tale. Not everyone deserves a happy ending.”   
“I'm gonna find you and I'm gonna make you pay for what you've done.” Matt said, Caroline could hear the anger boiling op in his voice. She almost snatched the thing out of his hands.   
“No, you are not. Not that I don't admire what you're trying to do, to change the world with nothing but desire and your own two hands, secure in the knowledge that you're doing the right thing, the only thing. That's something that I do understand. But we both can't have what we want. So, your part in this drama, by necessity, comes to an end.” The voice said threatening.  
“It's gonna take a lot more than a voice on a radio to stop me.” Matt scowled.   
“It's not me you need to worry about. It's the city you just blew the hell out of.” Caroline looked at Matt with sheer horror. He’s going to blame the explosions on Matt. On the masked vigilante. She saw how Matt’s hand were trembling while formulating a response.   
“You… You think anyone's gonna believe that?” Matt tried to say mockingly but the fear shone through it. Caroline put a hand on his shoulder and gave a little squeeze.   
“You're running around in a mask, holing up with a known felon in the wake of a series of bombings. There's that police officer you're holding hostage, so yes. Actually, I do.”  
Silence filled the room. Caroline just wanted to take that police radio and crush it against the wall. Pretend that the conversation never happened and everything would go back to normal. But she didn’t and it wouldn’t. Caroline glanced at the Russian he looked at them with… belief? Realization? “But it doesn't have to be this way. The Russian is he alive?”   
“I'm still here, you fat shit!” Vladimir shouted.   
“Does that answer your question?” Matt grunted.   
“It's a one-time offer. You kill the Russian, and we'll call the night a push. You know what he's done to women to children. To the people of this city that you claim to care about. But do you know how much he enjoyed it?”   
“You just confirmed how important he is. That must worry you, what he might tell me.” Matt scoffed. “Which means he hasn't told you anything yet. You're a child playing at being a hero.”   
“No, no, I'm not trying to be a hero. I'm just a guy that got fed up with men like you and I decided to do something about it.”   
“That's what makes you dangerous. It's not the mask. It's not the skills. It's your ideology. The lone man who thinks he can make a difference. I'm glad we could talk. I… I respect your conviction even if it runs counter with… with my own.”   
“Yeah, keep telling yourself you've won. It'll make what I'm gonna do to you so much more satisfying.” Matt exclaimed.   
“Your part ends tonight.”   
“And if that's true, others will take my place. They'll see what I was trying to do and they'll make sure…”   
“No, they won't. The city will burn you in effigy. Your name, your very existence will be met with abhorrence and disgust.” Matt suddenly heard a lot of panic out on the streets. He tilted his head. Caroline threw out her grid – with came with some effort – she could feel al the wounded and the dead. Caroline sucked in her breath out of horror and put a hand in front of her mouth.   
“What did you do?” Matt demanded.   
“What you forced me to do. Goodbye. I'm afraid we won't speak again.”   
“Fisk Fisk! Fisk, answer me!” Matt shouted but the radio remained silent.   
“Who were they?” Caroline asked.  
Matt turned and gently took her shoulders.  
“What can you feel?”  
“A lot of dead people, bullet wounds to the head, except one, he’s in a coma.”  
Matt grunted.  
“Who were they?” Caroline asked again.  
“Cops, the bastard killed off several cops.” Matt whispered.  
“He’s going to pin it on you… Oh god. We need to get out of here.” Caroline said.  
Matt growled and threw the police radio against the wall. It exploded in tiny bits.  
“Shit!” He shouted.  
Caroline approached him and slowly wrapped her arms around him. He hugged her back. Put his cheek on top of her head.  
“I need to get you out of here.” He whispered.  
“We’re getting out of here together.”  
Matt released her and took her face in his hands.  
“Caroline. If there’s a point where you can escape, you have to.”  
“No! I won’t leave you. We’re in this together.” Tears prickling behind her eyes.  
“Listen to me. I need you to promise me this. I will need someone to keep our friends safe. And… and I need you safe. I won’t be able to handle prison or whatever they’ve got in store for me if I know you’re in danger too.”  
Caroline shook her head.  
“Caroline… please…”  
“Fine! But only if there’s no other option okay? And there is, we can get out of here.”  
Caroline pushed Matt away, angry of what he made her promise.   
She started moving planks out of the way.  
“Caroline … here.”  
Caroline turned and saw Matt tilting his head above a pile of planks. They moved them out of the way to reveal a sewer entry.  
Matt and Caroline tried to move it but it was too heavy.  
“Over here!” some voices said in the distance.  
Shit, she remembered her little trick to enter the building and replicated it.  
“Make no sound. And don’t move.” She whispered.  
One agent shone his flashlight in the hole. She decided to make the whole hole a blind spot.  
“Clear!”  
He moved away. The Russian looked at her with amazement but she ignored it.  
“Common hurry.” She whispered.  
Matt and she tried moving the lid but it still wouldn’t budge. Suddenly a pair of extra hands helped them move it.  
Caroline looked up with surprise.  
“Told him. This is not how I die.” He whispered to her. She nodded and with the three of them they could move the lid.  
Caroline jerked up.   
“What?” Matt whispered.  
“They just killed the cop that found you.”   
“Shit.”  
They climbed down the hole. It was dark and it smelled horrible. Her eyes slowly tried to adjust.  
“This way.” Matt said.   
“Where are we?” Caroline asked, when her eyes could see more clearly. The place was dirty and moist. With multiple hallways.   
“Access tunnels. The city was built on a network of these, most of them sealed up years ago.” Matt answered before taking another turn.   
“All right, we have to keep moving, find a way to the street.” He said.   
Suddenly two cops came into view.   
“Freeze!” Caroline just blinked and knocked them out. Matt tilted his head in surprise. The Russian took one of the guns of the cops with him.  
“Let's go. There are five more coming. All working for Fisk, probably not even real cops.” Matt said while taking some more turns. The Russian fell through his knees against a dirty wall.   
“We don't have time for this.” Matt whispered.   
“I think maybe I stay.” The Russian said.   
“We can still make it out of here.” Caroline whispered. “I could heal you.”  
“No pretty girl.” Vladimir said waving his hand.  
“You turn evidence on Fisk, we can…” Matt continued.  
“He controls all police judges. There's only one way to stop him, you know this.”   
“No. I'm not a killer.”   
“The moment you put on the mask you got into cage with animals. Animals don't stop fighting. Not until one of them is dead. What Fisk did to me, he'll do to you. And he will do it to everyone you care about.” Vladimir looked at Caroline.  
“I’ll admit she can take care of herself, but he knows other ways to make her life, your life miserable. Will you feel the same way then? Or will you be man and do what you know you must do?”   
Vladimir coughed.   
“The dermo who controls money, his name is Leland Owlsley. He will give you what you think you want. But it won't be enough. You know that now, don't you?” Matt shook his head.  
“Go.” Vladimir said. “Get your ass and hers out of here.”  
Matt nodded and pulled Caroline with him. She kept looking at him and he winked at her while gripping his weapon and slowly standing again.  
“Got something! Move! Move! Move!” sounded in the distance.  
Caroline turned away and followed Matt. She reeled her grid in. She didn’t need it to know what will come next. Matt found an exit to the sewers and they were walking through the streets.  
Caroline wordlessly pulled of his mask, she tried cleaning him up a bit but it was a lost effort.  
Matt gripped her arm just above her elbow while they were walking to his apartment.  
The whole way, they didn’t say a word. Letting the events of this night sink in.

They arrived without anyone stopping them or even looking at them.  
“I’m going to take a shower.” Matt said and he disappeared in his room.  
Caroline went to sit in the sofa and pulled out her laptop. She set it on the news.  
They were reruns of footage of the explosions and footage of the vigilante beating the crap out of some cops. Then the shooting of the cops just outside their building.   
He did it. He really did it. He put all the blame on the vigilante. On Matt.  
“What are they showing?”  
Caroline jerked up in surprise. Matt was already back.  
“They’re showing footage of the explosions, the cop killings and you, beating up some cops.”  
“They were dirty. They were going to shoot me and Vladimir on the spot.”  
“I wasn’t questioning your actions.” Caroline whispered. “I’ll go take a shower too.”  
While under the hot stream of water it hit her. How messed up this whole situation was. How powerful this Fisk really was. He has the force, he has the swat team, he has the news, he has judges, persecutors, maybe even senators. She tasted bile in the back of her throat.  
She thought back to the words of Stark when he had dropped her off her. A city sick with corruption and crime. And she was sent to heal it. But how do you heal something that is rotten to the core?  
When she was done, she put on a top and sweatpants.   
Matt was sitting in the sofa, a beer in front of him. A second one right next to it. Caroline sat down next to him. She opened the beer and took a swig.  
“You know, it’s safe to go to your place again.” Matt said.  
“If you don’t mind, I’d like to stay here tonight.” Caroline answered and Matt nodded.  
“I don’t.”  
“Thanks.”  
Caroline took another swig and sighed.  
“This shit is fucked up.” She said looking at her laptop. Looking at the reruns. Anger bubbled up inside her and she slammed it shut.  
She looked at Matt, muscles defined by his shirt. Stubble on his cheeks his hair messy and wet. And his eyes, looking at a point far beyond this world. Sadness and frustration were visible in them.  
She slowly put her hand on his cheek, the stubble was surprisingly soft. Matt leaned into her touch.  
“I hate this.” She whispered. “I hate how they are portraying you. You risked your life almost every night saving people and now everyone thinks you’re the monster.”  
Matt put his hand on top of hers.  
“I… We’ll figure it out.”  
Her heart fluttered at the word ‘we’.  
“We?”  
“Like you said we’re in this together. I didn’t realize it before. And how fucked up it may be, I need you Caroline. So yeah, we’re in this together.”  
Caroline smiled and his hand left hers to stroke her arm.  
“But that doesn’t mean I’ll stop trying to keep you safe.”  
“And I’ll keep trying to help you be safe.” She said.  
She looked in his eyes and the sadness and frustration were gone. Something new flickered in there, something that made her stomach do summersaults.  
“Matt… I know you can sense a lot but I’ve been wondering. Do you see faces?”  
A little smile tugged his lips.  
“I have a vague image but not anything clear.”   
Caroline took his hands in hers and guided them to her face.  
“Is it true that this can give you a clearer image?” Matt nodded.  
“I want you to see me Matt.” She whispered.  
Matt nodded again and started tracing her face lightly. His fingers left a burning path on her skin.  
He touched her forehead, her temples, her nose, her eyes, her cheeks, her jaw, her lips.  
His thumb lingered there, rubbing her lower lip.  
Her face felt like it was on fire, every piece of skin he touched was burning.  
“You’re beautiful.” He whispered. It gave her shudders. His thumb left her lip, moving away from her face, curling his hand behind her neck.  
His face came closer, his lips inches away. Caroline could feel his breath on her lips. It sent shivers down her spine. His nose touched hers. They breathed each other’s breath for a while. Caroline thought she was going to fall apart. She was going to crumble into tiny pieces. And then he crossed the distance, his lips were on hers and she felt energy spark through her body. Lighting her on fire. She put her hands in his hair, deepening the kiss. It felt like for the first time she was alive and her powers rippled across her skin again. Filling the room with electricity. The kiss lasted forever and not at all. She wanted it to last forever. She wanted to get lost in him, drown in his being.  
Matt pulled back with a smile on his face. Caroline was flushed and smiled as well.  
“That was…” she whispered.  
“… fantastic.” He ended. Their foreheads touched and she breathed his essence in. She reveled in this nearness, this intimacy. And even though everything was fucked up. Hell had broken loose. The city would start a manhunt after him. Even though the world felt wrong, in this moment she was happy.


	10. Aftermath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guy's,  
> Thank you so much for reading this FanFic! I'm having a blast writing it. :)   
> I just realized that I did a major fuck-up in this chapter. Peter Parker shouldn't be in contact with Stark yet during season 1 of Daredevil. I'm sorry for the detail hunters among you, but I decided to keep this in. I love the idea of Stark having protege's and him being a dick to them XD. This way Caroline has someone who's in the same situation. So sorry I'm keeping it in :p. I'll try to do better in the future. Much love D.
> 
>  
> 
> Shout out to http://www.springfieldspringfield.co.uk  
> 

When Matt awoke of his slumber and opened his eyes, the familiar darkness greeted him. Slowly his surrounding where picked up by his senses, including the fragile figure still sound asleep in his bed.  
A grin started spreading across his face. He could almost still feel her lips on his. How it had awoken something in him that had been slumbering since he took up the mask. Not only that, she had set his senses ablaze. All he could focus on was her.  
Like he was doing now, how her breath left her lips, making a strand of her hair flow up, filling the air with her sweet scent.  
He had been a perfect gentleman. Letting her sleep in his bed again, while he took the sofa. Giving her a small kiss on her cheek before she disappeared in the bedroom.  
He didn’t want to rush things, he wanted to get this right. This was the first time he was totally smitten by a woman, a woman that knew every side of him and didn’t run. A woman who had her own side that no one knew about except him.  
His grin widened, he had a feeling it wouldn’t leave his lips all day.  
And she had allowed him to form a clearer image of her. He had already known she was beautiful, Foggy’s physical reaction to her had told him that much. But as he had traced her face it was clear to him that she was a sight to see. With her delicate nose, high cheekbone and big eyes.  
Matt heard how her breathing became lighter and decided to cook breakfast.  
He had just finished washing and cutting up some fruit and started to bake some pancakes when his bedroom door opened.  
He grinned when he sensed how she was wearing one of his shirts again. Her scent mixed with his still drove him mad. It made him wonder how she would smell when he made her his. When his kisses where placed all over…  
“Good morning.”  
Matt snapped out of it and turned towards her.  
“Good morning.”  
“Matt that truly smells delicious.”  
“It’s just pancakes.” She moved closer to him, shoulders touching. Something in him growled in approval.  
“Still smells great.” She shrugged and took a grape out of his fruitmix and put it in her mouth. The sweetness stuck to her lips and Matt wondered how it would taste if he kissed her now. But he remained civil and just moved closer to give her a kiss on her cheek.  
He heard her heart sped up and the temperature change in her body as a reaction. Matt chuckled as he pulled back. She gave him a gentle slap against his shoulder.  
“No fair!” She breathed flustered.  
“What?” he asked innocently.  
“You can feel… like… everything.” She exclaimed.  
Matt chuckled again while he flipped the pancakes.  
“It has it’s… advantages.” He said softly and he felt an immediate reaction in her. He grinned wider.  
“I bet.” She whispered under her breath.  
“It must be great that you can read everyone as an open book.”  
“Not always. Not when your closest friends are lying in your face and you can’t confront them with it. Not when you sense something is clearly wrong but you can’t ask them about it. Not when you can feel when someone has… reactions towards you have no interest in returning them.”  
Matt finished with the pancakes and brought them to the table.  
He felt how Caroline cringed while picking up the fruit and moving to the table.  
“I’m sorry, I didn’t look at it that way yet.”  
“You don’t have to be sorry, it does have its perks.” Matt smiled.  
Caroline nodded and took a pancake with some fruit and syrup.  
“I’ll make some coffee.” Matt moved back to the kitchen. He thought back to when she had told him she had sensed the Russians lungs in Claire’s apartment.  
“But can’t you like do basically the same things?”  
“No not like you.”  
Matt thought about it while bringing back two cups of coffee.  
“So how does it work exactly? I know you can sense people’s wounds and heal them or make them sick but how? With your senses?”  
He sat down and awaited her answer while taking a pancake himself.  
“I don’t fully understand it myself. It starts with my grid I guess.”  
Matt tilted his head, he had heard that before.  
“You mentioned something like that.”  
“Yeah, it’s like I have some sort of net around me, making it possible to sense my own body in detail, where I’m hurt. It stays on my body until I cast it out. Spreading it out wider to sense more, other people’s wounds and sickness. When I’m near something that needs healing the hairs in my neck rise. Alerting me. Urging me to help.”  
“So, you have a 360 degrees’ view like me?”  
“Yeah but I have to concentrate really hard. And healthy people are almost invisible to me, I can sense them when I know where they are but if I don’t know, it’s harder to pinpoint them.”  
“Could that improve with training?” Matt asked, thinking back on his own training sessions with Stick.  
“I honestly don’t know. Maybe?”  
Maybe he could try to train her. See what she can do. Like her own training session while healing people.  
“And your healing how far does that go, does it have limits?” Matt asked.  
“I would have to guess that death is the limit.”  
“So, you can basically heal everything?”  
Caroline’s heart started racing and her breathing became uneasy. He could feel how she shifted in her seat, fidgeting with his shirt.  
“What’s wrong?” Matt asked with concern, when he noticed the changes.  
Caroline sighed and went with her hand through her hair.  
“Look, I’m sorry… I was curious… I know that I shouldn’t have but…” her voice trailed off.  
“Caroline?”  
“I checked but apparently, I can’t fix things when the body already healed it in its own way.”  
Matt noticed some more changes, she was scared.  
“Like scars? I don’t really mind them.” Matt said confused.  
“Yeah something like that…”  
Silence filled the room. Matt didn’t understand the sudden change in mood. She can fix things that the body fixed in its own way, why would that scare her? She checked already…  
Matt started to realize why she was nervous.  
“Oh… you mean my eyes…”  
“I’m sorry Matt. I wish I could… I mean… if I had been there, before your body healed them, then maybe…”  
“Caroline…”  
“I know I shouldn’t have tried it, without your consent, but you didn’t know yet…”  
“Caroline…”  
“I would have done it slowly…”  
Matt sighed and got up from his seat, crouching next to her taking her hands in his.  
“Caroline, it’s ok.”  
She was trembling.  
“Really, I’m not mad. It was nice of you to try. I have made my peace with it. The though never even occurred to me. It’s… It’s my kind of normal now.”  
Caroline cupped his face with her hand.  
“You’re not disappointed?”  
“No.”  
“So, you wouldn’t want to see again?”  
“That’s not what I said…” Matt sighed.  
“I would love to see the sky again. But I have made my peace with it. I know I wont and I’ve learned to live with it.”  
He reached for her face, touched her cheek lightly and tucked a lost strand of hair behind her ear. He heard her heart speed up again and he felt how her skin raised in temperature again.  
“Caroline, what color is your hair?”  
Caroline laughed softly.  
“It’s red. But that not my natural hair color.”  
“I know.”  
Caroline tilted her head.  
Matt smiled. “I can smell the chemicals.”  
“Oh well, my natural hair color is strawberry blond.” She paused for a second. “My eyes are green.”  
Matt nodded a grin broke through. Caroline couldn’t help it, that grin made her have butterflies in her stomach. She grinned back. Matt looked at her lips and suddenly all he could think about was how they had felt on his yesterday.  
“If it’s okay, I would like to kiss you now.” Matt said a little laugh hidden in his words. He got an immediate response from her. Not in words but in so much more. Her heartbeat that sped up, her cheeks that flushed, her hand that squeezed his lightly, her smile that widened, a quick dart from her tongue over her lips, a quick intake of breath.  
Excitement.  
Matt leaned in and searched her mouth. It didn’t take long, she closed the distance herself, locking her lips on his. Her hands found his hair and played with it. Matt folded one hand behind her neck and the other disappeared in her long locks of hair. She was so soft, her lips where so soft but eager. Very eager. He let the tip of his tong slide across her lips. Her lips parted and their tongues found each other quickly, deepening the kiss. She tasted like syrup and fruit. Caroline hummed against him and the corners of his mouth raised a little. He raised his body a bit because his knees were hurting. Caroline had to tilt her head upwards to stay locked with his lips. His senses where overwhelmed. All he could feel, smell and taste was Caroline. She overtook him completely, he could swear that an electric current ran across her skin. It ignited his senses even more and Matt groaned. He had to stop, he was on the verge of letting it lead to something else and he had promised himself he would take it slow. Matt started pulling back.  
Caroline whimpered in protest. Matt rested his forehead against hers, heavily breathing. Filling his lungs even though the air was full of Caroline. It took every inch of his control not to crash his lips on top of hers again, pick her up and carry her to his silk sheets.  
He started putting distance between them.  
Caroline was heavily breathing as well and Matt could taste something in the air. It tasted like her but different.  
“We should get ready for work.” Matt whispered.  
Caroline nodded, he could feel she was still a bit thumb struck. Slowly she got up and went to the shower. Matt cleaned up the kitchen. Trying very hard to concentrate on anything other than what was happening in his bathroom right now.

-§-

“Oh, my god, are you guys alright?”  
Karen ran up to them as soon as they entered the office.  
“We’re fine, Karen.” Matt said. Caroline quickly took off his coat.  
“How come you didn’t come to the hospital?” Karen asked.  
Caroline froze, she totally forgot to inform Matt about Foggy. She quickly darted to the kitchen.  
“Karen what do you mean?”  
“We waited for you guys forever.”  
Standing in the kitchen, Caroline prayed that Matt would hear her, she quickly whispered.  
“They called me yesterday, while I was searching for you, to be sure that we were fine. I told them we were. Foggy got a shard of glass in his side, that’s why they were at the hospital. Since I didn’t know where you were I told them we couldn’t leave the building. I’m so sorry Matt, I forgot to tell you.”  
“Didn’t Caroline tell you we couldn’t leave the building?”  
“Yeah, she did, but I thought when it all calmed down you would have come.”  
Caroline sighed, relieved that Matt had heard her and made two cups of coffee.  
“It was pretty chaotic outside Karen. Caroline didn’t want me to leave.”  
“And that was a good call.” Foggy entered the conversation. Caroline exited the kitchen and gave Matt a cup of coffee.  
“Thank you.” Matt said and he gave her a kiss on the cheek.  
Caroline immediately got a blush on her cheeks and her heart sped up. His stubble had made her cheek tingly and his smell lingered in her nose again.  
Caroline looked up with red cheeks and saw how Karen and Foggy looked at them with open mouths.  
Karen’s eyes kept flashing between her and Matt and Caroline could swear she saw hurt in her eyes for a millisecond. Foggy quickly got over himself and grinned widely at her. Spelling “Told ya” with his mouth. Caroline couldn’t help but grin back.  
If Matt was at all aware of what was happening in the room he didn’t let it show.  
“So, how’s your side Foggy?” Matt asked, as if nothing special happened.  
“Oh, it’s nothing, it just needed some stitches.”  
“Does it still hurt?” Caroline asked while she threw out her grid to check Foggy.  
“A little, but no worries, I’ve got pills.” He laughed taking out an orange bottle, shaking it.  
Caroline saw that he was indeed in pain and not a little. She started healing Foggy’s wound slowly while taking his pain away. When she judged that his body got the nudge in the right direction, she stopped.  
“Speaking of which I think they’re starting to kick in now.” Foggy looked relieved and Caroline was satisfied. She glanced at Matt and saw a little smile lingering on his lips. He knew what she had done.  
“We better get to working.” Foggy said. “Matt, can I speak to you for a second?”  
Caroline went to her desk while Matt and Foggy disappeared into Matt’s office.

“What’s up?”  
“So, you and Caroline huh?”  
“That’s what you wanted to talk about?” Matt went to his desk, Foggy followed and sat down on the corner of the desk.  
“I know I should be wounded that you were doing that, while your best friend was in the hospital…”  
“Foggy it’s not like that.” Matt interrupted.  
“So, you didn’t do the nasty nasty with her last night?”  
“No I didn’t.”  
Foggy feigned shock and grabbed his heart. Not that Matt was supposed to see that.  
“I’m shocked, Matt Murdock that doesn’t sleep with a girl.”  
“Foggy…”  
“I’m happy for you man.” Foggy said. Matt tilted his head.  
“I think Caroline could be great for you. She is already great for you. I know about the printer man, she takes care of you. Even when you don’t even seem to notice yourself.”  
“What…”  
“It’s in the little things Matt. Always taking your coat, keeping your cane close, bringing you coffee, guiding you down the stairs that are a death trap from hell. And she does it without asking, and it’s certainly not in her job description.”  
“She takes care of you and Karen too, Foggy.”  
“Exactly. She has a good heart Matt. Just don’t … break it okay? You guys are meant for each other, don’t screw it up.” Foggy said nervously.  
Matt was surprised at the seriousness from Foggy. Most of the time he’d encourage him to make use of his blindness to get girls.  
Matt gasped in feigned shock, mimicking Foggy.  
“Foggy Nelson convincing me to stick to one girl. I’m shocked.” Matt laughed.  
Foggy hit him softly in the shoulder.  
“I know, I know, I’m a better man than I was.”  
Matt laughed loudly at that.  
Foggy got up and walked to the door.  
“Foggy…” Matt stopped him. “I have every intention to get this right.”  
Foggy nodded and left Matt to enter his own office.

The day went by rather quickly. Caroline frowned a bit at their resources. The numbers were dropping rather quickly. They needed a paying client again and quick.  
“Caroline.”  
She looked up, Matt stood next to her desk with his coat on and hers in his hand.  
“Are you ready to go home?”  
Caroline smiled up at him. She could still barely believe that she was so lucky.  
“Yes.” Caroline closed her programs and shut down her computer. After cleaning up her desk a bit she walked towards Matt. Who was holding up her coat for her. She slid right into it and stood close to him.  
“Thank you.” She leaned towards him and kissed him on the cheek, like he had done this morning.  
Caroline pulled back but Matt had a hand behind her neck and stopped her. He leaned in again. His nose touching hers and she closed the distance again.  
Their lips touched and the butterflies in her stomach fluttered around wildly. She cupped his face, his stubble grazing her palm. The other hand found her waist and pulled her closer. Before they could deepen the kiss, someone coughed behind them.  
“Get a room you crazy kids.” Foggy chuckled. He stood in his doorway along with Karen. Matt and Caroline turned to face them. Matt left his hand on her waist and pulled her a bit closer. Caroline saw hurt flash through Karen’s eyes again. Did she have feelings for Matt?  
The TV in the main room announced the news. It was about the bombings and shootings from yesterday. They played the part of the masked vigilante beating up cops again. Caroline cringed and looked away. Matt’s hand on her waist tightened. They were calling the vigilante the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen. Caroline cringed again at the name.  
“Devil, my shapely Irish ass. Guy's a coward.” Foggy growled.  
“What I wouldn't give for the chance to rip that corny mask off and…”  
“And what?” Karen interrupted with her brows raised.  
“Punch him in the face with my fisticuffs.” Foggy raised his fists. Caroline stifled a laugh.  
“I don't know, he seems, uh pretty fisticuffy.” Karen said laughing.  
“Please tell me I don't detect a hint of admiration for that terrorist.” Foggy said surprised.  
“This is just all speculation.” Karen said pointing at the television. “Nobody knows if he's a terrorist or what.”  
“You're absolutely right. Terrorists have causes. They claim responsibility. Al-Qaeda wanted the world to know exactly what kind of assholes they were. This guy? Not a peep. All terror without the ‘-ist.’ You know what they call that? Nut job.” Foggy ranted.  
“Hmm, maybe.” Karen responded.  
“You know him beating up cops doesn’t proof he did the bombing though. I wander what kind of evidence they have.” Caroline suddenly said. The Foggy and Karen looked at her surprised.  
Caroline shrugged. “Just saying.”  
“You don’t think he did it? Even though the police and the press say that he did?” Foggy asked.  
“I think they needed a scapegoat and they picked him.”  
Foggy looked at her stunned.  
“You’re serious!”  
“I am, he saved me two times now, and Karen. I looked into it a bit, he saved people from getting mugged to assaulted all over town and then he turns around and bombs the city? I don’t buy it.”  
“How do you even know that?” Foggy responded, Karen looked at her with big eyes, hope shining through. She didn’t want to believe it was him either. Matt had been strangely silent the whole time. Caroline swallowed, maybe she took it too far. Well no turning back now.  
“I have a friend that works in the hospital, a nurse. She works the E.R. she told me that people keep turning up, beat up because they were mugging someone or assaulting them. They all say a man in a black mask did it.”  
“So, the press and the police are lying.” Foggy said laughing, it sounded ridiculous to him.  
“I’m not saying they are lying. Maybe somebody made it look like he did it.” Caroline answer sternly.  
Foggy jerked his head towards Matt. In doing this he made a wrong movement with his injury and winced. Foggy groaned and supported himself against the doorframe.  
“How's your side?” Karen asked.  
“Downgraded to agony.” Caroline quickly scanned his wound and relieved some of the pain.  
“All right, what do you think, Matt?” Foggy turned to Matt.  
“I think Foggy'll be pitching for the Mets by mid-season.” Matt answered lightly.  
“I'm being serious.” Foggy chuckled.  
“So am I.” Matt laughed. “Have you seen their bullpen?” He added.  
“Come on, you telling me this dickhead blowing up our backyard doesn't piss you off?” Foggy said. “What happened to Hell's Kitchen, to you and to Elena, and to all the people that were hurt yeah, it pisses me off.” Matt responded, Caroline could feel him tense up next her.  
“But this man, whoever he is, whatever his motive, he shouldn't be tried and convicted in the press.  
We're lawyers, we know that's not how it's supposed to work.” Matt continued.  
“So, uh, hypothetically, if this guy got caught needed counsel, Nelson and Murdock would offer to defend him?” Karen asked.  
“Hell no.” Foggy exclaimed.  
“It would be his right.” Matt countered.  
“What about my right to punch him in the melon? They pulled a piece of glass out of my side.  
Elena needed 12 stitches. And you want to Perry Mason the guy responsible? I wanna make sure the right person pays for what happened.”  
“The whole thing's moot.” Matt responded.  
“After shooting those cops, police are probably looking to settle things the old-fashioned way if they catch up to him.” Foggy said grimly.  
“Yeah, it's more than likely.” Matt tensed up again.  
“Just a thought, but we may wanna go a bit peppier at the end of the day. Leave on a note slightly higher than deeply depressing.” Karen suddenly said.  
“She's right.” Caroline said.  
“You're bringing us down, Murdock.” Foggy said chuckling.  
“Me? - High note! Softball!” Matt laughed.  
“When are we getting a company team together?” Foggy said enthusiastic.  
“We have four employees.” Matt said.  
“At least three of them aren't blind.” Caroline chuckled.  
“Naysayers, each and every one of you.” Foggy pointed at Caroline and Matt.  
“Karen, come on. Batting practice, you and me, Chelsea Piers. What do you say?” Foggy looked at Karen.  
“Um, I…” Karen said embarrassed.  
“Or not. Totally cool.” Foggy shrugged. Caroline had seen his hopeful look and felt sorry for him.  
“No, no, I would, I would. It's just that I, um I have this, uh, thing.” Karren said nervously.  
“Go, do that thing. Not a problem.” Foggy said and Karen grabbed her coat.  
“Okay, so, um see you tomorrow.”  
“We'll be here, ready to high note and stuff.” Foggy said.  
“Good.” Karen laughed right before she closed the door behind her.  
Foggy sighed heavily. Mat chuckled.  
“Smooth.” Matt said.  
“Admittedly, I'm a work in progress. Did you know she has mace on her keychain?” Foggy said.  
“So? I have pepper spray in my purse.” Caroline said.  
Foggy looked at her surprise and sadness in his eyes.  
“Yeah with what you’ve been through…”  
“She was attacked too Foggy.” Caroline said.  
“But you know… You ever worry about her? Worry, like, something she's not telling us?” Foggy said.  
Caroline raised her eyebrows at that.  
“Everyone has secrets, Foggy.” Matt said.  
“I don't. I'd like some. Your kind, not that’s it’s a secret anymore.” Foggy looked from Caroline to Matt.  
“It was never a secret Foggy.”  
“Yeah yeah. I’m going to get going.”  
“Yeah we too.”  
They left the office and locked it behind them.  
“See you guys in the morning.” Foggy said, waving at them.  
Matt and Caroline waved back heading towards Matt’s apartment.

Caroline and Matt stood in front of his door awkwardly.  
“So since the Russians aren’t a problem anymore…” Caroline said.  
“Yeah, you can return to your apartment.”  
“Yeah…” Caroline fidgeted with a button of her coat.  
“Listen, it’s not that I’m kicking you out. You’re always welcome but I want to get this right. In a normal pace. I think living together now…”  
“Is not really a normal pace.” Caroline interrupted. “I get it.” She smiled.  
“I’ll just go grab my stuff.” Matt opened the door and Caroline got her bag out of his room.  
Matt waited on her by the door, she approached him.  
“So, normal pace then huh?” She asked smiling.  
“Like I said. I want to get this right. I’ve managed to screw everything else up. But this…” Matt cupped her face. “…us, I want to get right. It means too much for me to screw it up.”  
Caroline smiled wider.  
“I want to get this right to.”  
“So, we probably should get started by going on date’s. I seem to remember you saying yes to going to dinner with me.”  
Caroline smiled even wider.  
“Yeah, I remember something like that too.”  
Matt leaned in and gave her a soft kiss on her lips. It was sweet and careful. And it sent shivers down Caroline’s spine. When he pulled back they were both smiling widely.  
Caroline started turning away to leave but stopped.  
“Can I stop by your place tomorrow to pick you up? We can walk to work together.”  
“That’s a great idea.”  
“I’ll see you tomorrow.”  
“Bye.”  
After another kiss on the cheek, Caroline walked into the hallway and heard Matt close the door behind her. Caroline felt like a schoolgirl that was just invited to prom by her crush. While walking down the street her phone beeped.  
‘We need you.’  
Stark, Caroline sighed and took up a quicker pace.  
5 minutes later she was at her apartment. After locking the door behind her and turning on the light she heard the clicks of guns pointing at her.  
“Are you guys seriously going to greet me with guns pointed at my face every time?”  
She turned and saw that they were the same agents as with Steven. As soon as they saw her face they lowered their weapons.  
Caroline looked around her apartment Stark was standing by her kitchen table and a man was laid on top of it on a stretcher.  
“Oh, my god.”  
Caroline hurried to the table. The man… correction boy, that laid on top of it was unconscious. He couldn’t be older than 15 with dark brown curling hair and round features. He didn’t even outgrow his boyish looks yet.  
“You recruit children?!”  
Stark shrugged. “He holds promise.”  
“He’s a kid!”  
Caroline quickly threw her grid over him and was shocked to see all his injuries. She quickly started healing him. Internal injuries first. While healing him she noticed something different about his body.  
“He’s different…”  
“Yeah, he got bitten by a genetically enhanced spider. Which changed his genetic makeup.”  
“So, he wasn’t born like this.”  
“No, we’re trying to help him cope with the changes. But he’s young doesn’t always listen to people that are wiser than him.”  
Caroline nodded and wiped some of his hair out of his face.  
“I can’t imagine how difficult it must be for him.”  
Stark walked closer and saw the wounds close in front of his very eyes.  
“You’re really something else Caroline.”  
Caroline figured that was the closest to a thank you she was going to get.  
“You’re welcome.”  
Just as the last wounds started to close the kid’s eye started to open.  
“Wha… where am I?” The kid slowly started to sit upright.  
“Hey, hey take it slow okay.” Stark said. “He should take it slow, right?” He looked at Caroline, worry in his brown eyes. An emotion Caroline hadn’t seen there before.  
“No, it’s fine, he’s as good as new.”  
Stark looked surprised.  
“Well okay then.” He punched the kid in the shoulder. “What were you thinking kid!”  
“Auch. Okay, okay I get it now. Nearly dying teaches that lesson enough.”  
The boy got up and jumped of the table. Caroline saw that he had a suit on. Blue and red with a spider web pattern across it. He touched his sides searching for injuries that weren’t there anymore.  
“What the…”  
“Like it never happened.” Caroline chuckled.  
The boy looked at her. He had brown eyes, they reminded her of Matt’s.  
“You did this?”  
“Yup.”  
“How?”  
“Hey I’ve got my powers you got yours.”  
The boy’s eyes widened and he looked at her in awe.  
“How’d you get them?”  
“I was born with them, no spider bites for me.”  
The boy laughed.  
“I’m Peter Parker.”  
“Caroline W… Fox.” She had almost given her true name. One that she didn’t even share with Matt yet. She never slipped up like that. Must be because Stark was in the room.  
“Thanks, for… you know… saving my guts.” Peter said.  
“Hey! I saved your ass, she just healed you.” Stark said.  
Peter rolled his eyes at him. Caroline started to like the kid.  
“You want something to drink, Peter?” She asked.  
Before Peter could answer Stark interrupted.  
“He’ll get something on the flight back.” He turned towards Peter.  
“Get your ass on the helicopter, I’ll be right there.”  
Peter rolled his eyes again.  
“Hey, thanks again. See you later?”  
“I hope not.” Caroline laughed. Peter cringed.  
“Yeah, best not eh. Bye.” Peter was escorted to the rooftop door by one of the agents.  
The other agent took the stretcher and waited by the door for Stark.  
“So ‘The devil of Hell’s Kitchen eh? He’s gone rogue?”  
“No, he didn’t cause the bombing. I was with him when they hit.” Caroline hesitated for a second.  
“Hey you guys ever hear of a guy named Wilson Fisk?”  
“Doesn’t ring a bell.”  
“What about Leland Owlsley?”  
“Nope.”  
Caroline sighed.  
“He behind the bombings?”  
“Yeah, pinned them on the masked man to get him out of the way.”  
“Ever catch a name?”  
“Nope.”  
“Well, let us know when you do. It would be in his advantage to be under our protection. Little stunts like what the press is doing now could be prevented because of it.”  
Caroline studied Stark. She didn’t trust him enough. Besides it’s up to Matt to decide to come forward not her.  
“How are work and regular life going for ya?” Stark asked with a smirk.  
“Fine.”  
“Really? I did a background check and the firm isn’t doing so well.”  
Jerk.  
“That’s because they’re good guys. Too good, accepting too many pro bono cases. They need paying clients.” Caroline defended. Stark looked at her with his eyebrows raised. She couldn’t really place the emotion behind them.  
“Mmhmm. Well see ya.”  
Stark walked to the rooftop door and disappeared through it with the remaining agent. Caroline frowned. She couldn’t pinpoint his intentions and it frustrated her. Steven had assured her he meant well but she didn’t see that side of him yet.  
Time will tell.


	11. Trust

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!  
> Thanks for sticking with this FanFic, it means a lot to me.  
> Don't hesitate to leave comments with your opinions.  
> I'm sorry that it's taking more time between chapters, I started this when I had a lot of free time which isn't the case anymore. Don't worry i'll keep 'm coming. :)
> 
> Shout out to:  
> http://www.springfieldspringfield.co.uk

Caroline was panting. Her heart was racing. She couldn’t see, the room was too dark.  
Something hit her hard on her back and she fell to her knees.  
She got up again. Her grid was thrown out but her attacker was completely healthy, she couldn’t find him. Something hit her in the back of her legs. She fell on her back.  
Breathing heavily, she scrambled back on her feet. Caroline was tired, no exhausted. She had been using her powers too much and it took every last bit of power to keep her grid up. Where is he?  
She though she saw a flicker of something and quickly turned. But it was gone, and her grid snapped back to her.  
Suddenly an arm folded around her throat, squeezing. Holding her in a chokehold.  
She tried to get out of it but she couldn’t, he was too strong. Her lungs started to scream for oxygen and she started panicking. Looking inside her, grasping for a last straw of energy, she suddenly found a pool of energy and since she knew where her attacker was now she started draining his energy. Squeezing the oxygen from his lungs. He let go of her, Caroline grasped for air, coughing. Turning to her attacker she kept squeezing the oxygen out of him until she felt something hard between her ribs.  
“Gotcha.”  
Caroline groaned and the lights turned on. Matt was kneeling in front of her and held a wooden knife to her ribs. In his other hand, he had the remote for the lights.  
“You’re getting better.” Matt said while getting to his feet.  
They had been training like this for a week now. After work they grabbed something to eat and went to his father’s old gym. It was always the same routine. Lights out, grid up and she had to find Matt in the dark. She usually didn’t and drained her power while trying. Somehow, he always sensed when she was drained and then attacked her, and she had to get out of it. Which she mostly couldn’t. The closest she had gotten was today.  
Caroline sighed.  
“It doesn’t feel like I’m getting better.” Matt approached her and curled an arm around her waist.  
“You are, if I’m not mistaken you saw me. You were turned directly to me.”  
“I did, for half a second then I lost you.”  
“Well, you did see me, and you got out of my chokehold.”  
“Yeah, because you misjudged when I was drained.”  
“No I didn’t, you were drained, but you found something inside you, didn’t you?”  
Caroline sighed and threw her arms around Matt’s neck. Matt curled his other arm around her waist too, gently caressing her back.  
“Matt Murdock, how do you know everything?”  
Matt chuckled.  
“I don’t, I just saw you had no energy and suddenly you had.”  
Caroline tilted her head.  
“You can see my energy?”  
“Yeah, something new I learned to see since I met you. I can see it clearer in our training sessions.”  
“So, I’m getting better huh?”  
Matt rested his forehead against hers.  
“Yup.”  
“Good.”  
She kissed him, softly. A sweet kiss. It didn’t last long but it didn’t have to. Matt pulled back.  
“We need to get showers. I’m sorry to say that we stink.”  
Caroline giggled.  
“This is essence of Caroline, how dare you say it stinks?” She said jokingly.  
Matt laughed.  
“Oh, essence of Caroline doesn’t stink, but mixed with the dust in this place and the sweat of other people and the scent of the mat, I’m sorry to say…”  
“Eww, okay I get it. Showers now.”  
Matt laughed while Caroline practically ran to the showers.

The warm water running over her shoulders soothed her muscles and was relaxing. It had been Matt’s idea to train with him. To see if he could make her see the healthy people as well.  
Besides he needed the distraction. Since the bombing a lot of people were out for blood, his blood. He still went out to help people but only in the dead of night and the people receiving his aid, weren’t always that pleased with him.  
So, he focused more on training Caroline and less on roaming the streets.  
They didn’t forget the lead Vladimir had given them. But it was difficult to pinpoint Leland’s location and following him in broad daylight wasn’t really an option for Matt. Not anymore.  
So, they decided to wait, until the storm of the bombings settled down.  
Caroline got out of the shower and got her clean clothes out of her gym bag.  
She was finished getting dressed and tying up her shoes when Matt came out of the shower.  
Caroline swallowed hard. The only thing covering Matt was a towel around his waist. Drops of water were still dripping off his chest. His chiseled chest, with muscles rippling with every movement he made underneath his skin.  
Her heart sped up and she quickly darted out of the changing-room. He definitely heard that. Shit.  
Why does he have to sense everything? Caroline calmed herself down and after a few minutes Matt exited the changing-room as well. A big grin across his face. Yeah, he heard it.  
He was wearing a tight black T-Shirt that really didn’t cover up the muscles she saw a few minutes ago, and some simple jeans.  
At first it had been weird seeing him so casually dressed, being used to the suit and all. But it started to grow on her as well. And the fact that his T-Shirt were always stuck closely to his skin had nothing to do with it… Really.  
“Let’s go.” Matt put an arm around her shoulders and gave her a short kiss on the lips.  
Caroline smiled widely while leaving the gym with him.  
“I’m still waiting on that dinner, you know?” Caroline said when they arrived at Matt’s place.  
Matt Chuckled.  
“Okay, how about tomorrow? We can use a break from training.”  
“That’s good.”  
“I’ll pick you up around 8?”  
“It’s a date.” Caroline smiled at him.  
“Indeed, it is.” Matt smiled back.

The next day, Matt called Caroline into his office.  
“Hey, you needed me?”  
“Yeah. Look I’m going to step out for a while.”  
“Okay.” Caroline frowned at that, he normally didn’t need to tell her that in his office.  
“Euhm, I’ve been out last night and I noticed things on the streets calmed down the last two days. So, I’m going to take a shot at Leland.”  
“Oh.” Caroline looked at him. She knew this quiet streak wasn’t going to last forever. They needed to take down Fisk. The manhunt on him didn’t lessen the criminality on the streets, it had just made it harder to intervene.  
“I just wanted to let you know.”  
Caroline smiled at him and approached him. She took his hand and squeezed it lightly.  
“Thank you. And be careful okay. Even if things have calmed down, there’s still a major target on your head.”  
“I know.” He squeezed back. “Don’t worry I’ll be on time for our dinner.”  
“You better.”  
Matt pulled her hand closer and kissed it.  
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”  
Matt put on his coat and left the office. He had been right in telling her. She would have been disappointed if he didn’t. They’re a team now, even though he had to remind himself from time to time. He still wasn’t used to somebody knowing what his activity’s after work were.  
Matt changed into his vigilante clothing and left his apartment via the roof. It took a while until Leland left his office and he followed the car by jumping from rooftop to rooftop.  
The car entered a parking garage and Matt sneaked in after it quietly.  
When he found Leland, he was talking to another man.  
He heard them talking about clearing the docks from security and police. What was going to happen there?  
Matt heard one of the cars drive away while Leland still stood outside his. Matt snuck up on him and knocked him down. Pinning him to the ground.  
“Oh, God! What do you want? My wallet?” Matt heard that the man panicked.  
“You know what I want. Tell me about the man you work for.” Matt grunted.  
“I work for Silver & Brent.”  
Matt put more pressure on him, until he knew it was painful.  
“I'm gonna ask you again. Think about your answer. Who do you work for?”  
“I told you, I work for Silver and…” Matt raised and slammed him to the ground interrupting him.  
“You work for Wilson Fisk moving his money around. Which means you have records, proof of who…” The sound of a cane tapping interrupted him. Matt tilted his head. He knew those footsteps. It couldn’t be…  
Matt was distracted and didn’t hear how Leland pulled out a Taser. The shock of the current ran through his body temporarily paralyzing him.  
Leland got up and kicked him.  
“Asshole.” He got in his car and drove away.  
Matt grunted and heard the man tapping the cane approaching. He came to a stop right next to him.  
“You just gonna lie there all night?” A familiar voice said. Stick.  
“Are you gonna lie there all night or get up off your ass?”  
Matt grunted and got up of the floor his teeth clenched. He thought he’d never encounter the bastard in front of him again.  
“Jesus, kid. I'm gone five minutes, you turn this place into a shit show.”  
“You've been gone 20 years.” Matt snapped  
“What are you doing back in my city?” He demanded.  
“Your city? Hell's Kitchen hates your guts. They have you pegged as a cop killer and some kind of mad bomber.” Stick replied.  
“Yeah, I'm taking care of it.” Matt retorted.  
“An old guy just lit you up. You ain't taking care of shit.”  
“Why are you here?”  
“To save you and everyone in the Kitchen from a horrible death.” 

-§-

“What a shithole.” Stick scoffed as they entered Matt’s apartment.  
“You have any idea what I pay in rent?”  
“Expensive shithole.” Stick sat down on the couch and stuck his nose in the air, sniffing.  
“You had a woman in here.”  
“That's none of your business.”  
“When's she coming back?”  
“Again, none of your business.” Matt snapped. He knew Stick would probably follow him tonight and discover it himself. But he wasn’t going to give that information willingly. He didn’t have the right.  
Stick sighed, drawing conclusions from Matt’s answer.  
“Women are a distraction. Just like furniture, apartments Whoa…” Stick tilted his head.  
“Silk sheets.” He sighed.  
“Cotton feels like sandpaper on my skin.” Matt explained.  
“You'd be better off sleeping on real sandpaper than surrounding yourself with all this bullshit.”  
“This is my life and I made something of it, without you.” Matt snapped.  
“That's the part that really pisses you off, isn't it?” he continued.  
“No, Matty. No, I'm proud of you, I really am. The things you've done, what you've made of yourself, but this is surrounding yourself with soft stuff isn't life, it's death.” Stick explained.  
“Someday those silk sheets are gonna crawl up behind you, wrap themselves around your throat and choke you to death. You're a warrior.” He continued.  
“Yeah that's not all I am.” Matt snorted.  
“A warrior, heir to the Spartans, baddest of the bad-asses. They knew what they had to do and they did it.”  
“And what was that?”  
“Cut it loose, all of it. Cut yourself free from the women, the comforts, the fancy job.” Matt laughed at that. “The job's not that fancy.”  
“Do you have friends? People you care about?”  
“Yeah, three.”  
“Cut 'em loose, for their sake. Break their hearts if you have to, just do it quick.”  
Matt’s stomach twisted into a knot, thinking about cutting everyone loose, cutting Caroline loose made him sick and dizzy. He couldn’t and he won’t.  
“I'm not gonna do that.”  
“Then they will suffer and you will die. Relationships are a luxury men like you and me can't afford.” Stick said.  
“Is that why you left? Huh? To protect me?” Matt asked.  
“I had my reasons.”  
“I was a kid.” Matt exclaimed.  
“You still are. Boo-hoo. Stick left me. Think I'll bury my sorrows between the legs of a supermodel.” “Don't push it, Stick.” Matt grunted, he was getting angry at the old man.  
“Or what? I'm trying to teach you how to stay alive. Christ, you're worse than your old man. Born to lose Battlin' Jack. At least your daddy got paid when he hit the floor.”  
Matt’s blood rushed to his ears as his anger flared up. He didn’t have the right. He left him as a kid. Someone he looked up to, who give him purpose, taught him how to see again. He just left him and now he had the audacity to show up and lecture him about how he was living his life? He had no right. Matt jumped Stick, they threw a few punched and it didn’t take long before Stick had him pinned by twisting his arm around his bag. The move he had pulled countless times which Matt couldn’t seem to get out of… when he was a kid at least. Matt did a summersault to get out of his grip and pushed Stick back. He laughed loudly.  
“Took you 20 years to learn how to get out of that one.”  
“Yeah, I've learned a lot since you've been gone.” Matt replied.  
“Like what?”  
“You're a dick.”  
“That's true. You got any beer?” Well at least he owned up to it. Matt chuckled.  
“Yeah, in the fridge.”  
“I'll bet it's that German piss, isn't it?” Stick walked to the fridge.  
“So, you gonna tell me why you're here? Or is the suspense supposed to kill me?” Matt said.  
“It's the war, Matty.” Stick picked a beer out of the fridge and popped the cap. It bounced against a few things before it landed in the trash. Show Off.  
“Never-ending war.” Stick said while sitting back down on the sofa.  
“With who? You never got around to that part.”  
“Now, the Japanese, mostly.”  
“Look, I don't want you tearing up Hell's Kitchen going after the yakuza.”  
“Yakuza?” Stick chuckled. “You don't know what's going on in your own backyard. The guy that was yappin' with that old man you slapped around, he's pretty high up. He goes by a lot of names. Using Nobu this time around.”  
“So, Nobu, you want him so bad, why'd you let him get away back in the garage?”  
“I don't want him.” Stick sighed. “I want what's on the ship he's meeting at the docks tonight.”  
Matt remember the conversation Leland had about clearing the docks tonight.  
“Right, Owlsley was talking about that. What's Nobu bringing in? Drugs or something?”  
“A weapon. They call it Black Sky, the bringer of shadows.”  
“What kind of weapon?” Matt asked.  
“The kind you don't want in your world.”  
“Just say it.” Matt said smiling.  
“Say what?”  
“Say that you want my help.”  
“I want you to help yourself. Nobu and his guys are in tight with Fisk. You hurt them, you hurt baldy.” “You know about Fisk?”  
“I know a lot of shit.” Stick scoffed. “This beer, for example, sucks.”  
“After all your talk about cutting friends loose, and now you need one.”  
“I don't need a friend. I need a soldier. Committed. Not some bleeding-heart idealist hanging onto half measures.”  
“You don't know anything about what I'm doing here.” Matt said getting frustrated again.  
“Kid, in war, people die. If it's not you, it's the guy next to you. How many men have you killed protecting this city?” Stick asked.  
Matt remained silent. He didn’t kill people and he wasn’t about to start now.  
“You're still afraid to cross that line. Someday, it's gonna come down to you or the other guy. If it's not Fisk, somebody else. What're you gonna do then?”  
“Yeah, a Russian asshole asked me the same thing recently right before he died.”  
“Are you the one that put him in the ground?”  
“No.”  
“Half measures, Matty. Ah, screw it. Ride with me tonight help me destroy Black Sky, keep it off the streets, and I promise you this Wilson Fisk will know the taste of fear the day he faces you 'cause he'll know that you kicked the guy he's afraid of right in the nuts. What do you say, kid?” Stick asked.  
Matt knew if he said no Stick would go about it alone. Stick can handle himself but a body count will be the result. Matt’s stomach twisted. He’ll have to cancel dinner with Caroline. Shit. Matt sighed.  
“One rule you don't kill anybody.”  
“I swear I will not kill anybody.” Stick sighed. “Pussy.”  
Matt smiled, he got what he wanted. Well not really because he wanted to go on a date with Caroline, which wasn’t going to happen. Not tonight anyway. He’d better cancel.

-§-

Caroline wiped away the steam on her mirror. Since she left work she had butterflies in her stomach nonstop. They were finally going on their first official date. She saw Matt every day and they had managed to spend time together every day too. But never really any dates. Like going to a concert or going for dinner. Movies weren’t really possible for obvious reasons.  
Caroline started to blow-dry her hair and put some curls to the ends. The she swept everything over one shoulder and pinned it all in place. When she was satisfied, she started putting on some light make-up. In her underwear, she went to her closed and picked out a red flowy medium long dress. She looked in the mirror and smiled. She knew she didn’t have to pretty herself up for Matt put he disserved it even if he can’t see it.  
She glanced at the clock, it was almost 8 o’clock. Butterflies started to swarm in her belly and she got all giddy about it.  
Her phone buzzed.  
It must be Matt, texting he was downstairs.  
Caroline picked up her phone and read the text.  
‘Something came up. I’m sorry. Raincheck?’  
It felt like all the butterflies suddenly dropped to her feet as rocks. Shit. She had been looking forward to this.  
‘It’s okay. Call me if you need me.’  
Caroline looked at herself in the mirror again. Well that was a waste of time, or was it? Caroline took out her phone and called Karen.  
“Hello?”  
“Hi, Karen, it’s Caroline. I was wondering if you were doing something tonight?”  
“Nothing specific. Why?”  
“I was wondering if you and I could grab a drink?”  
Karen was silent on the other side of the line. Caroline could hear her hesitating.  
“Yeah sure, why not. Josie’s?”  
Caroline looked at herself in the mirror again. A little overdressed for that.  
“What about the press lounge. My treat.”  
“Oh wow, you sure?”  
“Yeah I really need a night out.”  
“Okay, see you there?”  
“See you there.”  
Caroline smiled. Girl’s night out, excellent remedy against being stood up. She grabbed her purse and coat.

“So, I was putting away my stuff, ready to go home when Foggy begins singing this pirate song from the top of his lungs.” Karen said laughing.  
Caroline smiled.  
“It gets really bad and really loud so I shout ‘I know I’m still here right?’. You should have seen the look on his face.” Karen laughed. Caroline chuckled and took a sip from her cocktail.  
It was their third round already and she was starting to feel the buzz.  
Karen and Caroline had been recounting some funny times at work, most included Foggy. At first it had been a bit awkward. Caroline and Karen were rarely alone, most of the time Matt or Foggy are with them.  
Karen took a sip of her drink and looked at Caroline, wonder in her eyes.  
“What?” Caroline asked.  
“So, you and Matt huh?”  
Caroline suddenly got the feeling that Karen had been working up to this.  
“Yeah.”  
“What’s it like...? I mean what’s he like when he’s not all lawyery?”  
Caroline laughed at that statement.  
“What do you mean? You’ve seen him outside of work, we went for drinks multiple times.”  
“I know but it’s not really the same…” Karen hesitated. “I have a feeling he keeps his lawyermask up even then.”  
Caroline thought back and realized what Karen was talking about. His interactions with Foggy were funny, the interactions with Caroline were sweet and caring, but with Karen he was mostly strictly business.  
“He’s pretty great. Sweet and caring. He can be funny without Foggy.” Caroline said.  
Karen chuckled.  
“Did you know he’s very religious?”  
“Really?” Karen said surprised.  
“Yeah, he always thinks about what he’s going to do and then rethink it again. Never rushing into something, wanting to do things right.”  
Caroline was trailing off. Not wanting to overshare she quickly took another sip of her cocktail.  
Karen smiled at her.  
“You two make a cute couple.” Karen said, Caroline though she saw disappointment in Karen’s eyes but it was gone to quickly to be sure.  
“So are you and Foggy.”  
Karen was just taking a sip and almost choked on it.  
“What…?”  
“I’m just saying. I’ve seen how he looks at you.”  
“Yeah but…”  
“And you guys have good chemistry.”  
“Maybe…” Karen played with her slice of lime.  
“Or is there someone else?”  
Karen jerked her head toward Caroline in surprise.  
“No!”  
Caroline raised her eyebrows at Karen. That was an intense reaction.  
“I mean, no.” Karen blushed.  
“Okay, spill.”  
Karen shook her head.  
“It’s never going to happen. He already has someone.”  
Caroline looked at Karen that was blushing and now she knew for sure. She had a thing for Matt. Caroline felt sadness, she knew how it felt to have feelings unanswered. But she also had something inside her roar. Contentment and pride that she was with Matt and a certain other feeling she normally didn’t really have. Possessiveness. She’d have to do repent… No, that possibility was long gone ever since she… Caroline sighed.  
She decided to focus on comforting Karen instead of following her thread of thoughts. She put a hand on Karen’s shoulder and gave a gentle squeeze.  
“I’m sure you’ll find the right one, Karen. You just have to have faith.”  
Karen looked up at her and smiled.  
“You a catholic too?”  
“Yeah.” Caroline ignored the knot in her stomach.  
“You go to church and everything?”  
“I used too. Now not so much anymore. Life tends to get in the way.’”  
Both women took another sip of their drinks.  
“Caroline, thank you for this. I didn’t realize it but I needed this.”  
“You’re welcome, I needed it too.”  
Karen smiled at her.  
“So, what was the occasion?”  
Caroline sighed. Her finger trailed the rim of the glass.  
“Matt and I were supposed to go out, but something came in between. And I realize we hadn’t spent that much time together without the boys.”  
Karen smiled.  
“Don’t worry, I’m sure Matt has a good reason for cancelling.”  
Caroline smiled at Karen.  
“I’m sure too.” She emptied her glass and signaled the waiter.  
“Yes, miss?”  
“Another round please.”

They talked for a few more hours about college and boys and girl stuff. It was nice, Caroline realized she missed having a girlfriend. The guys are great but girls together was fun. She had left all her friends behind when she came to Hell’s Kitchen. She wondered how they were doing and how they took the news of her departure and what had caused it.  
Caroline swallowed hard at the memory while she opened her front door.  
Her phone informed her that it was passed 2 A.M. and that Matt hadn’t reached out for her. She sighed and cleaned herself up in the bathroom. Washing away the make-up and undoing her hair.  
Afterwards she dropped on her bed and succumbed to the darkness.

-§-

“Come in!”  
Caroline opened Matt’s front door and entered his apartment. Which was a disaster. His coffee table was in pieces, his stairs were broken, shattered pieces of glass everywhere.  
“Matt?” Worry lined her voice.  
“In the kitchen.”  
Caroline evaded the glass the best she could and found Matt ready for work in his kitchen. His hand grabbing the counter, his knuckles white from tension.  
“Are you alright?” She hurried over to him and scanned his wounds, nothing bad, just a couple of bruises. Why would there be a fight in his apartment?  
“Did they find out your…”  
“No.” Matt interrupted her.  
He looked stern and distant. His jaw was clenched, he was angry.  
“What happened?”  
“I came into disagreement with someone I used to know.” Matt said coldly.  
Caroline reached out and touched his shoulder.  
“Matt…”  
“He killed a kid, Caroline. He promised me not to kill and he killed a kid. Justified it by saying it was a weapon.”  
Matt clenched his fist and slammed it down on the counter.  
“I was right there, I tried to stop him but he left me overrun by goons so he could chase the kid and …”  
“Hey, hey, hey…” Caroline quickly wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pulled him into a hug. Matt didn’t budge at first but then gave into the hug. Heavily leaning on Caroline.  
They stood there in silence for a while. Caroline could feel how much Matt’s demons weighed down him. Crawling under his skin as much as her own. Her soul was bound for hell but his wasn’t. And she will support him, even carry his weight as much as she could.  
Slowly she pulled back and cupped his face.  
“What could you have done differently?”  
“I… I shouldn’t have trusted him, watched his every move.”  
“Did he give you a reason to distrust him?”  
“No… but I came with him because I knew there would have been a body count. I made him promise…”  
“And did he? Promise?”  
“Yes… but.”  
“Did he give you any reason to believe he would break that promise?”  
“No, but I have… had too much blind faith in the man.”  
“Why?”  
Matt swallowed.  
“He trained me, he though me how to fight, how to see, he made me who I am.”  
“No! Matt, you make yourself. He taught you your skills but that doesn’t mean he made you. If he did you would be killing people.” Caroline said boldly.  
“Caroline…”  
“Matt, he was your teacher, your mentor, we tend to trust them, we have to or we wouldn’t learn anything. Now beside not trusting him, what could you have done to save the kid.”  
“I… Nothing, he set me up.”  
“This isn’t your fault, you did right by the kid in trying to save him. Your mentor betrayed your trust, you can’t foresee stuff like that or you wouldn’t trust anyone.”  
Matt sighed and pulled Caroline back into a hug.  
“Thank you.”


	12. Mission

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guy's,  
> thanks for still reading this FanFic. It means a lot to me.   
> In this chapter I wanted to show that Caroline is her own woman and not just a support for man.  
> I hope you guy's enjoy it. D.

Caroline came home from a long day at the office.  
Matt had been very silent through the whole day. She could tell that he was really shaken up about what had happened with his old mentor. Matt had filled her in on everything on the way to the office. How he had abandoned him as child, when he had just started feeling like there was a father figure in his life again. Once they had arrived at the office they didn’t share a word and Matt had stayed behind at work. Not wanting to go home yet.   
Caroline sighed and closed the door behind her.  
The hairs in her neck raised and she immediately knew there was someone in her apartment. She also knew it wasn’t Stark, she would have heard the guns pointing at her. She quickly turned ready to attack.  
“Hey, hey easy.”  
Caroline knew that voice and she flipped a switch.  
Steven Rogers stood in the middle of her apartment. Along with a woman with fiery red hair and pale skin. Steve held his hands up in a calming notion. The woman just stood there with her arms crossed and eyebrows raised.  
“A bit jumpy there, are we?” Steven said.  
“Yeah well, this city will do that to ya. Besides you stand in my apartment in the dark, unexpected.”  
“True.”  
Caroline threw out her grid. Steven had some cuts and bruises but they were minor. And the woman was perfectly healthy. She raised her eyebrows at that. What were they doing here?  
“Neither of you are hurt.”  
“No, we’re not.”  
“Then why are you here?”  
Steven glanced at the woman next to him, with concern on his face. The woman however was still looking at Caroline with a calculating look on her face.  
“I… We were wondering if you could help us with something.”  
Steven was clearly uncomfortable and Caroline could see that the woman wasn’t really agreeing with him, or his plans anyway. No agents were present this time either which was weird.  
“Does Stark know you’re here?”  
The woman scoffed and Steven scratched the back of his head.  
“Well euhm… no.”  
“And he doesn’t need to know.” The woman said sternly. Caroline eyed her again cautiously. She started to realize who she could be.  
“You’re black widow, aren’t you?”  
“Yes.”  
“Her real name is Natasha.” Steven said which earned him a stern look from the woman.  
“Okay what can I do for you two?”  
“We think we have located an old friend of mine and we would like to grab him. But it’s a job that needs to be done stealthy, like nobody would realize what happened.”  
Caroline realized he was talking about taking her along on a mission. An avenger mission. Her eyes grew wide.  
“What like come with you? And do what exactly?”  
“I heard from Stark you’ve discovered some interesting things you can do with your abilities.”  
Stark had asked her a report on the bombings a few days ago. She had told him that she had discovered some new things, like the blind spots and knocking people out.  
He had reacted unimpressed, but apparently impressed enough to tell his colleagues.  
“He told you about that huh?”  
“Yeah.”  
“Wow he really didn’t sound impressed when I told him that.”  
Steven smiled.  
“S.H.I.E.L.D thinks otherwise. They asked him to bring you in but he said you weren’t ready yet.”  
Caroline raised her eyebrows at that. Stark never said anything about that.  
“But you do?”  
“I don’t know, haven’t seen you do anything besides healing. But what he described could be useful.”  
Natasha scoffed. Steven turned toward her.  
“You haven’t seen what she can do Nat.”  
“You just said you haven’t either.”  
“I know but the healing part I did see and feel. It…. It was amazing.”  
“So wait.” Caroline interrupted. “Let me get this straight, you want me – a rookie – to come along with you guys on a secret mission and leave Stark in the dark while doing it?”  
“Well… Yeah.”  
“Okay, when do we leave?”  
Both Steven and Natasha looked surprised at her.  
“You don’t mind going behind Stark’s back?” Steven asked.  
Caroline shrugged.   
“He doesn’t own me and he’s not my boss. I do with my time what I want.”  
Steven smiled.  
“Great. The chopper is waiting on the roof.”  
“We’re leaving now?”   
“Yes.”  
“How many days?”  
“Depends how smoothly it goes.”  
“Okay just give me a sec to pack a bag.”  
Caroline went to her room and stuffed some clean clothes in a duffel bag. When she was finished, she took out her phone and send a text to Matt.  
‘I have to go for a few days, to help out a friend. Be careful. X’  
Caroline was about to send the text but hesitated. She knew she couldn’t put too much details in it. She didn’t know if S.H.I.E.L.D. or Stark were monitoring her cell. But this was way too vague, she didn’t want to worry Matt. Caroline pondered on it and decided to change ‘a friend’ to ‘my friend Steven’. Hopefully Matt would connect the dots. She really needed to buy a burner for this stuff.   
She shoved her cell in her pocket and grabbed her bag.  
“Okay let’s go.” Caroline said when she exited her room.  
Natasha approached her.   
“Did Stark give you a cellphone?”  
“Yeah.”  
“Leave it. He could be tracking it.”  
“Okay.” Caroline took out her phone again and left it on her coffee table.  
“Ready?”  
“As I’ll ever be.”

-§-

“So, you know what to do?”  
Caroline, Natasha and Steven were sitting in a black sedan parked in the street. They were all geared up. Caroline had to banish the giddy fangirl out of her when she saw Steven in his Captain Amerika suit. It was too awesome but she didn’t let it show. Natasha was wearing a black getup and had given Caroline a similar one. Although the one she got wasn’t as light because it was armored. The chopper had brought them to an airfield to take a plane. They had arrived in the late morning at their destination. Natasha had disappeared for a while to scout the area and Caroline and Steven had taken a nap. When she returned they had laid out their first plan. Which had included Caroline knocking out everyone inside from a safe distance. Caroline then had informed her of her restrictions. She couldn’t knock out healthy people she didn’t see.   
Natasha had gridded her teeth after that.  
“Couldn’t you have told us that sooner?”  
“I thought you knew, since Stark told you about my powers.”  
They had to come up with a new plan. Going inside stealthy following their lead and knocking out everyone they saw before any alarms went off.  
They didn’t give her much details besides that. Only that a friend was in trouble. When the night fell they had gotten in the car and parked it down the street of the building they were going to invade.  
Caroline sighed. While waiting for dark they had repeated everything like three times.  
“Yes. Follow you guys and knock out everyone that comes into view.”  
“And?”  
If hell brakes lose, run for my life.”  
Steven chuckled and Natasha glared at him.  
“This is not a joke. We don’t even know for sure if she can pull it off.”  
“Hey!” Caroline was tired of the woman constantly doubting her.  
Steven raised a hand steadying Caroline.  
“Look, I’m sure she can. And if not we go to plan B.”  
“What plan B?” Caroline asked.  
“You run for the car and Nat and I handle this how we had planned before I suggested we ask your help.”  
Caroline rolled her eyes.  
“Don’t worry, I can pull it off.”  
“I hope you’re right. Because if you’re not you’d be putting us in a lot of danger.”  
Caroline sighed.  
“I know. I’m not some stupid brat that would risk your lives just to be able to run with the big guys, Natasha. I value people’s lives.”  
Natasha nodded curtly. “Okay, let’s move.”  
They stepped out of the car and walked cautiously to the building. Someone in black was standing outside, they darted into an ally a few houses away from the building.  
“This is it. Ready?” Steven asked.  
“We’ll see.”  
Natasha looked at her skeptically while Caroline peeked her head around the corner.  
She focused on the guard and stopped oxygen supply to his brain. It took a few seconds before he dropped to the ground unconscious. Caroline quickly released her grip so there wouldn’t be any permanent damage. Another guard stepped outside and went to examine his comrade but didn’t get far since Caroline knocked him out too. She waited a few seconds but no other guards came out.  
“Clear.”  
They walked around the corner, towards the building. Steven and Natasha looked at the guards with surprise. Natasha kicked one of them in the side but there was no reaction.  
Steven whistled softly in a high-pitched tone. He gave Natasha a gentle push.  
“Told ya she could do it.”  
“Yes, yes, let’s just finish this.”  
They entered the building. Scouting every corner and room for guards. They didn’t see any.  
After going up the stairs they came across more empty rooms until they found one big one with 7 guards standing guard in a line.  
“I don’t get it.” Natasha whispered. “This strategy is ridiculous.”  
“Don’t overthink it, Natasha. Caroline, can you…”  
“Just give me a sec.”   
Caroline threw out her grid and focused on the 7 guards. It took all her concentration to find the specific vein that would cut off their oxygen supply to their brain of all the guards at once.  
It was difficult, it was like she could only focus on 3 or 4 at the time. Caroline grunted in frustration.  
“Hurry up.” Natasha whispered.  
Caroline shot her a look that screamed ‘Back off!’.  
She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Since she sensed them earlier they were easy to find.  
Clear your mind carol, focus. One by one she went over their bodies and found the nerve. She parked it somewhere in her mind and went to the next guard. One by one she held them focused.  
“Get ready.” she whispered.  
She cut of the oxygen supply and a few seconds later as if on cue all the guards dropped to the floor.  
Caroline breathed out heavily, that had taken more out of her than she expected.  
“Hey.” Steven nudged her and Caroline opened her eyes.  
“Your nose is bleeding.” He looked at her worried.  
Caroline wiped her nose and saw blood resting on her glove.  
“Don’t worry, it happens when I have to concentrate that much.”  
Steven nodded and Natasha cautiously entered the room, kicking another guard. She gave us a sign to follow her. They stood in the middle of the room and saw there were no more doors.  
“What the hell? I don’t get it.” Steven exclaimed.  
“Shit, we need to go. Now!” the moment Natasha said that, Steven’s shield got ripped out of his hand by an invisible force and pillars of light shot out of the ground around them.  
Steven touched them and got burned.  
“What the…”  
“You hero’s always barge in first think about it later.” A metallic voice sounded through the room.  
“Although, I have to say you were more elegant about it that I’m used to.”  
“Who are you?” Steve shouted.  
“Someone that doesn’t like this new world order where people with powers run around like little kids in pyjamas, thinking that they can do whatever they want just cause they’re ‘special’!”  
Steven gritted his teeth.  
“I have to say I have a bigger catch than I expected. Two of the avengers, my my I didn’t think it would be that easy.”  
Natasha tried the light beams again but got burned too. She cursed under her breath.  
“No matter, don’t worry you’re not bait or anything. I have no illusions that if all the avengers come I would even stand a chance to win. So, say your goodbye’s in a few minutes this place blows to oblivion after I’m evacuated. Have a nice death.”  
Caroline stomach twisted, no way they could get out. She looked around the room and saw Steven’s shield stuck to the wall. He must have use a heavy magnet to take the shield from Steven. That probably means they could use the shield to get out of here but it’s out of reach.  
Steven cursed loudly.   
“I should have known this was a trap. It was too easy.” Natasha muttered.  
“I’m so sorry Caroline, I got you in this mess…” Steven turned towards Caroline but she was pale and had a calculated look on her face.  
Caroline swallowed hard while looking at the lasers. She breathed out heavily and took off her glove. She always wondered if she could heal herself while getting hurt at the same time. Perfect time to try it out. Her hand shook as she positioned it palm down between two lasers.  
“What are you doing?”  
“Trying something.”  
Okay Caroline focus, try to ignore the pain. She approached a laser and pushed her hand against it. Tears sprung in her eyes at the searing pain it caused but she kept going.  
“Caroline!” Steven was going to stop her but Natasha held him back.   
“Steven look!”   
As Caroline’s hand passed through the laser the skin closed again after the laser. It was in the middle of her palm now and her hand was as good as new all around it. Caroline continued and finally her hand was out and looked the same as a few moments ago. Like nothing happened.  
Caroline turned towards Natasha and Steven tears had made her cheeks wet.  
“I know how to get us out of here.”  
Steven and Natasha looked at her with big eyes. Caroline didn’t let herself notice. She couldn’t overthink it or she would chicken out. She started taking her gear off.  
“What are you doing?” Steven exclaimed his cheeks reddening.  
“I can’t heal clothes Steven. I prefer to strip now and be able a get out of here with clothes on then that my clothes burn up and I have to run around naked later.”  
Steven turned his back to her out of respect.  
“You don’t have to do this Caroline, the pain…”  
“I do have to Steven, it’s pain or die. I prefer pain. I have someone… there are people counting on me, I need to get back to them.”  
Caroline had stripped down to her underwear and folded the gear up. She pushed it carefully through between the lasers. Caroline swallowed hard and looked back to Natasha and Steven. Steven still had his back turned towards her and Natasha looked at her with respect in her eyes. She nodded and Caroline nodded back. She focused on the lasers again. Shit this is going to hurt.  
Caroline stepped forward and pressed her skin against the lasers. They were burning in her shoulders and her hips. It was worse than her hand. Ten times worse. She stepped forward again and healed after the lasers. The pain was unbearable and Caroline screamed. Her underwear snapped loose because of the lasers but she didn’t notice because of the pain. She wanted to give up, just stop, but she couldn’t. She was already halfway. A vision of Matt popped up in her brain. The beatings he took without complaint. She thought of his eyes how she could drown in them, she wanted to get back to him. She had to get back to him. Keep healing. Ignore the pain. Keep healing. Ignore the pain. Keep healing. Ignore the pain…  
Finally, she was on the other side. Caroline fell to her knees and cried. Shivers went to her body and she tasted bile in the back of her throat. She turned away from her clothes on the ground and threw up. Shocks of her body revolting against her went through her body as another wave of vomit came up. Tears streaked her face and her nose was running while her whole body was shaking.  
After her body had calmed down she became painfully aware that she felt an embarrassing freedom of her skin. Her underwear had fallen off. She crawled to her gear and slowly put it back on shaking.  
Caroline stood up and closed her zipper. She wiped her face clean and walked towards Steven’s shield. She pulled on it but it wouldn’t budge. Carline looked for and off switch somewhere but didn’t find one. Just a ton of wires across the wall and a small box on the ground. She tried to open it but it was shut tight. Tired, frustrated and still in aftershock of the pain she lost her patience and rammed the heel of her foot into the box. It sparked. She did it again and again until suddenly the shield fell on the ground. She picked it up and approached the cell where Steven and Natasha looked at her with big eyes.  
“You guys have to back away a bit.” Steven and Natasha stood close to each other as far away from Caroline as the cell would let them. Caroline positioned the shield so that the beam would hopefully bounce off to the ground. With a short intake of breath, she held the shield against the laser. It bounced off to the floor. She had to aim a bit toward where the other lasers came out of the floor.  
Suddenly the lasers flickered and disappeared.  
Caroline gave Steven his shield and before she knew it he was hugging her.  
“I’m sorry you had to go through that.”  
She shrugged. Caroline felt empty, like the pain had burned every emotion in her away. She felt tired, exhausted she had to use everything in her just to keep standing up. All she wanted now was to sleep. For at least a week.  
“I’m fine, really. We need to go. This place is going to blow.”  
Steven nodded and looked at Natasha.  
“Get her out of here, Steven. I’ll look for the bomb, I think I know where it is.”  
Caroline’s knees buckled and Steven quickly placed an arm at her knees and swooped her off her feet. Caroline couldn’t keep her eyes open anymore and fell asleep against his shoulder.

-§-

Caroline felt warm. A familiar warmth, she was lying in a bed. It smelled familiar, it was her bed.  
The memories of yesterday struck her all at once. She swallowed hard at the memory of the pain and her stomach twisted. But she had gotten them out. She smiled at that. The first time she was really freaking useful. Caroline slowly opened her eyes and got immediately struck with a killer headache.  
She groaned.  
“Caroline? Are you awake?”  
She looked around the room and saw Steven sitting on a chair next to her.  
“Hey.”  
“Hi.”  
“How are you feeling?”   
“Like my head got crushed and reassembled. But other than that, just peachy.” Caroline smiled at him. Steven smiled back at her, relief washing over his face.  
“You had us worried there for a sec.”   
“Did I sleep through the whole journey home?”  
“Yes, and then for an entire day after that. Nat and I have been watching you in shifts.”  
“I slept for an entire day?” Caroline looked at Steven shocked.  
“Yeah, I’m not surprised. What you had to do… Anyway, if you didn’t wake up today we would have called Stark. I guess it’s no longer necessary.”  
Caroline’s stomach growled.  
“How late is it?”  
“A little past noon.”  
Caroline sat up in her bed and winced at the headache. She knew trying to heal it would be useless. She slowly got out of her bed.  
“Hey, hey, you think that’s wise?”  
“It’s okay, Steven. I’ve overdone it once before, I just need to get a painkiller.” Caroline still felt a little weak in the knees but walked over to her bathroom. She opened her cabinet and took out the painkillers. She had bought them after the last time her head hurt like that.  
“So how did it end after I passed out? Did you catch the guy?” Caroline shouted at Steven.  
“No, Natasha dismantled the bomb. By then he was long gone. She’s looking into it right now.”  
She popped one painkiller in her mouth and swallowed. Her stomach growled again loudly and she went to her kitchen. Steven silently following her. She didn’t feel like cooking and examined a chinse take-out menu. After scrolling through it quickly she turned towards Steven.  
“You want something?” Caroline asked Steven.  
“Nah, it’s okay.” But his stomach told them otherwise by growling as loudly as Caroline’s.  
“Yeah, I think your stomach disagrees.” She said laughing.  
“Fine.” Steven took the menu and started reading it.  
“Is Natasha coming back?”  
“No, she’s following leads to track down the asshole that locked us in that damned cell.”  
“If you know more, will you keep me in the know?”  
“Sure.” Steven smiled looking up from the menu.  
“Made your pick?”  
“Yes.”  
Caroline picked up her phone from the coffee table and placed the order.  
She checked her phone and she had 5 texts and 2 missed calls.  
The missed calls where from Matt as well as 3 texts, 1 text from Karen and the last 2 texts were from Stark.   
She checked the text from Matt first.  
‘Okay, be careful.’  
‘Everything okay?’  
‘Caroline, can you please let me know if you’re okay?’  
Caroline quickly checked the missed calls.  
‘Caroline, I swear to god if I don’t hear from you tonight I’m coming to get you.’  
The last missed call was from this morning.  
‘I’m coming to get you.’  
Caroline’s stomach twisted in a guilty knot. She had been gone for 3 days and left him in the dark. She would have been pissed too. Caroline quickly dialed Matt’s number.  
“Hey.” Matt sighed in relief.  
“Hey, I’m sorry, I forgot my phone at home.”  
“Are you okay?”  
“Yes, just tired.” Caroline eyed Steven, she knew she couldn’t tell too much. “We had to move boxes and I overdid it a bit.”  
“Someone with you?”  
“Yeah, I’ll tell you more later okay? I’ll be back to work tomorrow.”  
“Good.”  
“Okay, I have to go now.”  
“Caroline.”  
“Yes?”  
“I missed you.”  
A warm feeling started in her gut and spread through her body. Caroline started to smile widely.  
“Me too.”  
“Bye.”  
“Bye Matt.”  
“Well that’s a big smile you have there.” Steven said smiling.  
“He just said something funny.” Caroline waved it away.   
She quickly looked at her other texts.   
‘I had a lot of fun last night. We should do it again.’ It was from Karen.  
Caroline replied quickly.  
‘I had a lot of fun too. We should make it a regular thing.’  
The last two texts were from Stark.  
‘Be home in 5.’  
‘Where are you?!’  
“Shit.”  
“What?”  
Caroline walked over to Steven and showed him Starks texts.  
“Shit. Can you make up an excuse?”  
Caroline looked at the date of the texts.  
“Steven it’s from the night we left.”  
“Shit, okay I’ll handle this.” Steven went through his hair.  
“I’ll tell him we needed you, I’ll leave out the part where you knew you were going behind his back.”  
“You don’t have to do that.”  
“Yes, I do. Me and Stark have our occasional spat out’s, I’ll deal with it.”  
“If you say so.”  
“Just answer his text. Tell him you just returned with me.”  
“Okay.”  
Caroline sent the text to Stark. The doorbell rang.  
“That’s our take-out. I’ll get it.” Caroline walked to her front door and opened it.  
It was their take-out, only problem, Stark was holding the bag.  
“Hi.” Caroline said dumbfounded.  
“Where in heavens name have you been?” Anger flared in his eyes. It made Caroline take a few steps back.  
“Caroline?” Steven came out of the kitchen and saw Stark in the doorway. He didn’t say the words but his face said enough. Shit.  
“Stark.”  
“What the hell are you doing here Rogers?”  
Stark looked from Steven to Caroline and back. Noticing the casual clothing they were wearing. Then he looked at the take-out bag, Caroline could see how he drew the wrong conclusions.  
“Well I can say that Natasha will be severely disappointed.”  
Stark gave them a cold look.  
“What? Why?”  
“Stark it’s not like that.” Caroline said.  
“Yeah you tell me that, I’m not hearing it. This is unacceptable Caroline. I don’t care what you do in your private time, but when I need you, you know it’s life or death.”  
“It’s not like that!”   
“Like what?” Steven looked at them confused.  
“He thinks I’m screwing you.”  
Steven’s eyes grew wide.  
“No Stark that’s not it.”   
Stark raised his eyebrows skeptically.   
“She went on a mission with me.” Steven blurted out.  
“She did what!” Caroline could swear she saw a dark cloud forming above his head. Stark stepped towards Steven with angry steps. Which finally allowed Caroline to close the door.  
“I told the lot of you that she wasn’t ready!”  
“Hey, I kicked ass out there.” Caroline said frustrated.  
“I don’t doubt that you did, what I meant was that you’re not ready to be fully involved with S.H.I.E.L.D.” Stark told her. He turned towards Steven.  
“If they hear she succeeded a mission, they’ll want to recruit her.”  
Caroline was confused. Wasn’t S.H.I.E.L.D. a good thing.  
“I don’t get it. Is that bad?”  
Stark looked at her.  
“It’s complicated. Just know it’s better to be freelance.”  
“S.H.I.E.L.D. doesn’t know of our mission.” Steven said.  
Caroline was done with this conversation. Stark was keeping secrets and she didn’t like it. She snatched the Chinese food out of his hands and went to sit at the kitchen table to eat.  
“You took her on one of your own missions? With no back-up?”  
Steven sighed.  
“Yes, and she was great by the way.”  
Caroline smiled at that and enjoyed the food. Her stomach finally content.  
“Okay, what was the mission about?”  
Steven fell silent. Stark looked at Caroline. “Well?”  
“Hey, don’t look at me. He didn’t give me any details.” And she was starting to see why.  
“Rogers?!”  
Steven held his mouth shut.  
“Fine, fine. Whatever. You deal with S.H.I.E.L.D. for once, see how you like it.” Stark threw his hands in the air.  
“Caroline, I expect you to be reachable at all times from now? And Rogers if you want to group up with her tell me please. So I don’t move dying people to her apartment for nothing.”  
Stark approached the table and snagged the chicken curry for Steven off the table.  
“Hey!”   
“I paid the take-out lady, so it’s mine.” He said grinning. And with that he left her apartment.  
Steven sighed and sat at the table.  
“You want some of my duck?” Caroline asked while sliding her box closer to him.  
“Thanks.”  
“So, what was all that about S.H.I.E.L.D.?”  
Steven looked wary at Caroline.  
“It’s a conversation for later. But Stark’s right, keep it freelance. It’s the best you can do for now. We’re all doing it freelance.”  
“Okay.”   
“Good.”  
“So, Natasha huh?” Caroline said smiling.  
Steven kept his eyes focused on the food.  
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”  
“Stark did say she was going to be disappointed, you know, when he though you and I…”  
“Yeah let’s not think about that very wrong assumption. Never going to happen.”  
“Auch.” Caroline said.  
“No I didn’t mean… you’re very pretty and smart and all but…”  
Caroline decided to tease him a bit.  
“But not good enough?” She raised her eyebrow.  
“Yes… No that’s not…. Argh.”  
Caroline laughed out loud. Thank god, she didn’t have food in her mouth.  
“Don’t worry Steven.” She touched his arm. “You’re not good enough for me either.”  
“That’s not…”  
“Relax, I’m teasing you. I get it. I’m not Natasha.”  
Steven grumbled at that remark.  
“It’s not that easy, we’re not…”  
“Why not?”  
“What we do it’s… It’s complicated.”  
“It really isn’t Steven. Either you follow your heart or you don’t.”  
“How would you know?”  
“I’m taken as well. And it’s not an easy relationship but it’s totally worth it.”  
Steven blinked in surprise at that.  
“Yeah but it’s not the same.”  
“How do you know?” Caroline looked at him sternly.  
Steven’s eyes widened.  
“Oh god. It’s him, isn’t it?”  
“Who Stark? eeewww no. I don’t even like the guy.”  
“No, it’s the vigilante.”  
Caroline couldn’t help it, her face reddened and now she was on very thin ice. With Matt’s identity and the lies she told Stark at risk.  
“Yeah that would be though, with you not knowing his name and all.”  
He still believed she didn’t know, good she could work with that.  
“So you see. My relationship is more difficult than yours and I still went for it.”  
Caroline winked at him.  
“I guess.” Steven focused on his rice again.  
“Steven, don’t tell Stark please?”  
“My lips are sealed.”  
“Good.”  
“Caroline?”  
“Yeah?”  
“Are you happy? You know with…?”  
“Yes very. I wouldn’t give it up for the world.”  
Steven smiled at that. And maybe just maybe that was what he needed to hear.


	13. Finally

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guy's,
> 
> Thanks for bearing with me. I've had a busy couple of months. I'll try to update sooner.
> 
> This is the one we've all been waiting for ;), enjoy!

Chapter 13

Caroline wiped the mirror so she could see her own reflection. She looked tired. Like she’d been through hell. Which she had. She winced at the memory of the pain. Her head still felt like a train had ran over it. Recovering the normal way sucked.  
After their awkward conversation with Stark and their food was consumed Caroline had pointed Steven gently to the door. Not that he was bad company, but she needed to rest and she was kinda hoping a certain cute lawyer would stop by.   
After Steven left, Caroline had texted him to signal that the coast was clear. She had cleared the Chinese food out and taken a shower.  
Caroline sighed and started to dry her hair with a towel. Just as she wanted to pick up the hairdryer the bell rang. She put on a bathrobe and went to the front door to open it.   
The sight of Matt standing behind it was like finally getting air when she was drowning.  
It was like getting the drug she craved without knowing she was craving it.  
“He…”  
Caroline interrupted him by flinging her arms around him and pressing her lips on his.  
Matt was startled at first but quickly eased into the kiss. He put his hands in her hair and pulled her closer while Caroline folded hers in the nape of his neck. It felt like coming home even though she was already there. After a few moments – too few – they slowly pulled back. Caroline rested her forehead on his.  
“I missed you.” She whispered.  
“I missed you too.” Matt breathed back, a smile creeping on his face.  
She took his hand in hers and pulled him into the apartment. She looked at his face. He had a few bruises but they were already fading, his stubble was a bit darker then the last time she saw him, his red tinted glasses stood crooked on his nose from the kiss and he had a boyish grin on his face also from the kiss. And while Caroline took this all in and the butterflies were swarming in her stomach she knew she was falling in love. Hard. He was the one she wanted to come home too, he was the only one that could fil the hole in her heart, which he had sneakily done without her realizing. Caroline grinned at him.  
“What?” Matt asked smiling.  
“What, what?” Caroline bounced back.  
“I can feel you staring at me, your heart is bouncing in your chest. What’s going on?” Matt chuckled.  
Caroline thought of sharing her realization with him, but deemed it the wrong time.  
“Nothing, I’m just fucking glad to see you. And you look cute with your glasses all crooked.”  
Matt laughed and straightened his glasses.  
“Awww.” Caroline complained.  
Matt put a lost strain of hair sticking to her cheek behind her ear.  
“So, are you gonna tell me what happened?”  
“Yes.” Caroline walked to the fridge. “Want a bear?”  
“Yes please.”  
She took out two beers and went to sit on the sofa, Matt followed suit after taking off his coat and hanging it over the edge of the sofa. He was wearing a dark grey shirt of which the two top buttons were open. He looked handsome, then again, he always looked handsome, whatever he wore.  
Caroline took a swig of her beer.  
“So, Steven Rogers asked me for help.”  
“I figured.”  
“Along with Natasha.”  
“Who?”  
“Black widow.”  
“Ah.”  
Caroline told Matt about the events of the past few days. How Steven had asked help, how he was being vague about it. How Natasha wasn’t too happy with the idea. The planning, the knocking out of guards – which she told about with some pride – and how they got stuck in the laser cage. Caroline took another swig of her beer when she was at that part. Halting her story.  
Matt had been hanging on her lips the whole time. He was torn between two emotions, pride and worry. He was so proud of her that she had gained that ability, making the mission that much easier but when he thought about taking her with him, on his nightly patrols his heart skipped a few beats.  
It would make his ‘work’ that much easier but it struggled with this intense need to keep her safe.  
He heard her heart flutter while she was taking a sip of her beer. She told him they got out – Matt had a feeling she skipped a part, the how part – and she told about the conversation with Stark.  
“I don’t know these guys enough to help you, but from what I gather, Steven seems like a trustworthy man, more than Stark anyway. I’d heed their warning.”  
“Yeah, I wouldn’t really say that I trust Stark, but he gives me my freedom, and I’ve got a feeling he wants me to keep it.” Caroline took another swig of her beer her shoulders were a bit tense and her heartbeat betrayed that she was holding something back.  
“Caroline there’s more to the story isn’t there?”  
“Why?”  
“Because you were vague about the escape and the journey back.”  
Caroline shrugged.  
“And your body language gives it away.” Caroline tensed up and her heartbeat sped up even more. She sighed. Matt knew there was a hard part coming.  
“We needed to get out of that cage or we were going to die.”  
Caroline let out a shaky breath.  
“So I… I pushed myself through the lasers.” Matt felt how her whole body tensed up at the memory.  
It was like the memory didn’t come from her brain but from her body.   
“You pushed… What do you… How?” Matt asked surprised from her words and her body language.  
“I pushed myself through the lasers and while they were burning through my flesh I healed myself after its path.” A tremor shook through her entire body. Matt finally realized the extend of what she was telling him. The pain she had to go through. He couldn’t imagine.  
“Are you okay?” Matt reached for her hand and took it in his own.  
“I am now. After I did it, it felt like my body rebelled against me. It took me a while to get over myself and take care of the cage. I passed out afterwards and only woke up around noon today.” Matt was shocked. Once again, he was amazed by the woman next to him, he gently squeezed her hand. Caroline squeezed back.  
“It was… not something I want to relive, but it was necessary. The pain, it was almost too much, I almost got lost in it.” She squeezed his hand again and her heartbeat slowed down, like another memory soothed it.  
“But I didn’t. Because of you, I didn’t. Your strength inspired me and the need to get back to you…” Matt felt how the heat rose to her cheeks like she was embarrassed of what she had said. Matt caressed her cheek.  
“I feel the same way.” He whispered. Caroline turned towards him. “Lately I catch myself thinking about you in a hard fight, to bite through it.” He confessed.  
Her breath hitched in her throat.  
“Matt…” he could feel her body tense up and her heartbeat staggering, she was going to tell him something, something that scared her.  
“I think… I think I’m falling in love with you… hard.” Her heartbeat fluttering like a scared bird.  
Matt cupped her face.  
“I am too… Hard.”  
Their lips crushed together. Matt tasted the sweetness on her lips. He tangled his fingers through her damp hair. His senses instantly ablaze. Her hands were tracing the skin in his neck and rummaging through his hair. He licked her bottom lip gently and she opened her lips. Their tongues found each other and Matt pulled her closer deepening the kiss.  
Her hands left his neck and slid over his chest. The sense of it made his skin tingle in the most pleasant way. He started to trace her collarbone with one hand, painfully aware she only had a bathrobe on. He let go of her lips and started to trace her neck with his lips and tongue. She was so soft it was incredible. Caroline took up all his senses once again and he could smell how her scent slowly changed into something sweeter. She started fiddling with the buttons of his shirt. Matt grazed her skin in her neck with his teeth which sent shudders down her spine. His buttons where open and her hand were tracing his skin, leaving a burning path across his chest. Matt pressed his lips on hers again and her lips where curled into a smile. Matt desperately wanted to touch her skin. But since she only had a bathrobe on he didn’t want her to think he was taking it too far. Caroline on the other hand had other ideas, she started fiddling with his belt.  
Matt pulled back catching his breath.  
“Caroline…” He whispered hoarsely, his need shining in his breath.  
Caroline looked at him cheeks flushed.   
“You can only tease a guy so much…” He whispered.  
Caroline tilted her head.  
“Who says I’m teasing?” She slowly raised her hand took off his glasses. Cupping his face with her hands. Matt breath hitched in his throat. Realizing what the sudden sweetness in her scent was.   
“Are you sure…?” Matt needed to be sure, she had been through too much, he didn’t want her to think she was obligated.  
“Matt… I want you, all of you. Let me drown in you…” Caroline begged. That undid him, he lost it. With a growl, he lifted her off the sofa. Caroline yelped in surprise and clasped her hands around his neck. Matt carried her to her bed a warm feeling pooling in his stomach in the anticipation of what’s coming. She giggled when he lowered her onto the bed and started tracing her neck with his lips again. Caroline hummed and started pushing his shirt off. After that was gone she fiddled with his belt again and Matt felt it sliding out the loops of his pants. She started pushing that down as well and Matt tore himself off her to get rid of his pants. While he was doing this, he could feel Caroline shifting, she was taking off the bathrobe and he could sense the outline of her naked body. She was beautiful. Obliging the sudden need to explore every piece of skin of her he started exploring the new areas with his lips. He quickly knew what she desired by the sound she was making and how her body reacted to him. Goosebumps on her skin when he found a sensitive spot. A hitch of her breath. Her scent changing. Shudders down her spine. Caroline explored his body as well and somehow, she found sweet spots Matt didn’t even know he had. Matt was losing himself in her. Her reactions to everything he did. How she managed to set his senses ablaze in a way he didn’t feel before. She knew things about him, she knew perfectly how to make him lose himself. They melted together in fire and passion. Each other’s, names on their lips. Caroline had been correct. It was like drowning in her. In each other.

-§-

Caroline woke up because of something warm shifting underneath her. She lazily opened her eyes and saw how Matt was slowly leaving the bed not wanting to disturb her. Her eyes flashed to the clock it said 9 P.M. She grabbed his arm.  
“Where are you going?” Her voice sounded a bit crooked.  
Matt smiled and kissed her on her temple.   
“My alter ego needs to be let out.” He said softly.  
Caroline sighed.  
“Do what you gotta do. Come back to me after?”  
Matt chuckled.  
“That was the plan.” He pressed his lips gently against hers and exited the bed.  
Caroline was sucked into the darkness again before she even heard him leave.

Caroline awoke again around 5 A.M. while she felt the bed shifting. She opened her eyes and smiled when she saw how Matt was crawling back into bed with her. She scooted closer and laid her head on his chest. It was cool from being outside. Matt sighed in relief and intertwined his legs with her. Slowly tracing her back in soft movements. Caroline was happy. Her body felt well rested and soothed. The pain from the mission washed away. This next step in their relationship made her feel warm and fuzzy inside.  
“Caroline, you don’t have to heal me.” Matt whispered.  
“I’m not.”  
“You are I can feel it.”  
Caroline frowned and focused on her powers, but she didn’t feel anything amiss. Her energy wasn’t draining either.  
“Are you sure? I’m not doing anything.”  
“I can feel it flowing from you into me.”  
“Well I’m really not doing anything.” Caroline turned her head to look at Matt and rested her head on her hand. He was giving his boyish grin that made her stomach smarm with butterflies.  
“Do your powers act up on their own like that often?”  
“No this is the first time.”   
Matt frowned a bit at that.  
“Was I…” His voice faltered not knowing how to ask the question. Caroline chuckled, she knew what he was going to ask.  
“No, you’re just that good.”  
Matt grinned widely at that and clasped his arms around her squeezing her closer.  
“I suspect your powers partly have to do with that?” Caroline asked.  
“I guess you can say I easily detect what you like.”  
Caroline chuckled.  
“I though as much.”  
“Didn’t you basically do the same thing?”  
Caroline grinned wickedly at him.  
“Caught on to that huh?”  
“Well let’s say you taught me a thing or two about me as well.”  
“I don’t even know where that came from.” Caroline confessed. “You suddenly lit up like a Christmas tree in my grid and not with wounds.”  
Matt bend down and kissed her on her forehead. Caroline hummed contently and laid her head back on his chest. Matt started stroking her back again, which guided her into a sweet bliss of a sleep.

When she woke again it was to the scent of coffee and someone cooking in her kitchen. Caroline smiled. She put on Matt’s shirt that laid forgotten on the ground. Pulling the collar close she breathed in Matt’s scent. With a smile plastered across her face she walked towards the kitchen.  
“Good morning.” Matt smiled.  
Caroline stood behind him and slowly wrapped her arms around his waist, her cheek resting on his shoulder.  
“Good morning.”  
Matt leaned his head against her head.  
“Do we have to work? Can’t we just stay in our happy bubble for the entire day?”   
Matt chuckled and she felt it vibrating through his body.  
He pulled her hands apart and turned in her embrace.   
“Caroline…” Matt leaned closer until she could feel his breath tickle against her ear.   
“It’s Sunday.” He whispered.  
Caroline blinked slowly until the meaning of those words started seeping through her mind.  
“No work?”  
“No work.”  
Caroline smiled widely and tilted her head upwards towards Matt. Matt traced her face with his nose to find her lips and they kissed deep and soft.  
“Oh, god how did I get so lucky.” Caroline muttered against his lips.  
“You? I’m the one who won the jackpot.” Matt laughed. He traced her cheek and his eyes lingered somewhere on her chin.  
“Seriously, I never thought I would find a woman so amazing as you and get to hold her like this. Someone who knows everything about me and isn’t judgmental about it.”  
Caroline’s stomach fluttered again. She looked at Matt, this handsome sweet guy, with a gift and a fierce passion to do good. By everyone. He had his past and his struggles but he was innocent and good of heart. This guy somehow fell for her, the broken goods, the one bound for hell. A rock dropped in her stomach. He made her forget what she had done, which was unforgivable. It made her sick that she was here being happy  
Caroline frowned and pulled away from him.  
Matt tilted his head, she knew he could feel the shift in her mood. With him no secret was safe.  
“Caroline…?” Matt wrapped his arms more firmly around her waist not letting her escape.  
Caroline sighed.  
“Caroline what’s wrong?”  
“I don’t deserve you.” Caroline whispered.  
“Caroline…”  
“I killed a man, Matt. And here I am being happy, forgetting it happened while his light was snuffed out forever. Torn away from his family…”  
Matt cupped her face.  
“Listen, I know I can’t do a thing to take that away. But you are not a bad person Caroline. You didn’t have control over your powers and you fixed your mistake for so many other people…”  
Caroline shook her head. Trying to interrupt him.  
“Caroline…” Matt continued unfazed. “You saved me, I was dying…”  
“Claire…”  
“Claire pulled me out, indeed. But you saved me. I was in a spot where I could choose between dying on Claire’s sofa or in the hospital along with several bystanders. You saved that man in the ally. You saved two of the Avengers. You save a countless amount of people in the hospital. You constantly put others before yourself. You’re the most selfless person I know. And I’m certain that you will save many more.”  
“That doesn’t wash away my sin Matt.”  
“I know it doesn’t, it’ll stick with you, probably your entire life but you’ve earned the right to be a bit selfish now and then. You’ve earned your right among the happy people again, Caroline. And knowing you, you’ll continue to earn it. There are people out there that cause a lot more misery and mischief without taking a life, scum that don’t deserve the light. But you do. You do.”  
Caroline’s head was a turmoil, she was still bound for hell, but forfaiting happiness isn’t really part of that deal, is it? She can still try to repay the debt while being happy, right?  
“Caroline, even though you don’t think so, you’re my light. You shine the brightest and you make me happy. The path I’m on, that we’re on isn’t an easy one, and I thought it would be a lonely one. You make it bearable.” Matt caressed her cheek.  
Caroline’s defenses crumbled. She wouldn’t be able to give Matt up. She was going to hell anyway, why not enjoy life while she could.  
She crushed her lips on his, losing herself in it. Allowing herself to be selfish.   
Matt’s lips curled into a smile against hers.   
He pulled away after a while.  
“Breakfast is ready.” He whispered.  
Caroline smiled and let go of him. She walked to the kitchen tabled and waited for him. She allowed the happy feeling from earlier to creep back slowly. They would save each other.


	14. The man behind the Tony

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys,
> 
> Surpirse! You didn't see this one coming right?  
> I had promised I didn't give up on this story and this is me keeping my promise :).  
> I needed to figure out how to dig myself out of a writers block.
> 
> So here you go, I hope you guys like it!  
> Let me know in the comments, I love to hear your view's, it keeps me motivated :)
> 
> XXX D.

Matt put waffles on the table and two cups of coffee.  
Caroline took a waffle and started eating. Her stomach growling.  
After a few bites she looked at Matt.  
“So, how did the last few day’s fare for you?”  
Matt sighed.  
“Foggy, Karen and Ben Urich are investigating Union Allied.”  
Caroline almost choked on her coffee.  
“What? But didn’t Karen sign a contract?”  
“Yeah about not going public, nothing was written about investigating. Which she rubbed in my nose when I said the same thing.”  
“But Ben Urich isn’t that the journalist who did the story on Union Allied?”  
“Yeah, they asked his help for outing the story without involving Karen. They already figured out that Union Allied or the new company anyway is behind the strong-arming of the residents in Elena’s building. We think it’s connected to confederate Global.”  
“Wait the one that hired us to get a hitman out?”  
“Yes.”  
“Shit. Matt, they can’t… this is dangerous.”  
“I know that, I told them that, I’ve restricted them to research and the legal system, but I’m not their father, Caroline. They do what they want.”  
“So, Fisk is everywhere huh? He corrupted the police, he holds all the major companies, clearing buildings, he had the Russians. What is this guy up to Matt?”  
“I don’t know, he wants to change this city. That’s what he said. He needs to be stopped. You know that one cop that survived the cop killings?”  
“Detective Blake?”  
“Yeah, he woke up. And to keep his mouth shut, his partner Hoffman was sent to kill him. I was too late.”  
“Shit…”  
“So, I went to pay Ben Urich a visit. To out Fisk to the world. Even if we have no proof the public would eat him up.” Matt sighed.  
“Well did you?” Caroline asked.  
“I did but I was too late again. Fisk outed himself but as a good Samaritan. It’s all over the news and a freaking mess. Now we can’t do a thing because we have no proof.”  
“So, what? Everyone looks up to him now even though he’s the menace in this city?”  
“Basically…”  
“And meanwhile you’re still a pariah in this city.”  
Matt silently nodded in agreement.  
“Well isn’t that just peachy…” Caroline groaned.  
Caroline bit of another piece of her waffle. Fisk was like a ghost and suddenly everybody knew about him. And he had had the opportunity to shape his own identity, he shaped how everybody saw him, making him untouchable. He had his finger in so many things, it made Caroline’s head spin.  
Power.  
Not in the strength kind of way but in the controlling way.  
He was like a disease, latching on all the important organs of their society, which made it extremely dangerous to get rid of him.  
They needed the body, society, to realize that he was the threat, so it would finally fight him.  
But to do that they needed an eye opener. Something that changed the view from good Samaritan into the vile corruption he was.  
The problem, was he buried his identity so deep, it seemed like an impossible task.  
After mulling it over a good long while in silence, Caroline had an idea, but she didn’t like it and Matt would even like it less.  
“What is it?”  
Caroline chuckled.  
“What you can read minds too now?” Matt smiled.  
“No, but I know you were thinking about the mess we’re in and suddenly you heart sped up. You have an idea?”  
Caroline nodded, swallowing the last piece of waffle.  
“But you don’t like your own idea though…”  
“No… and you won’t like it too.”  
Matt raised his eyebrows and waited for her to explain. Caroline sighed.  
“We need everyone to see the truth. Taking him out now is to dangerous, especially when everyone thinks you’re the bad guy. But seeing the truth will need a massive skeleton out of his closet. And I’m damned sure he buried his so deep, we’ll bury ourselves while digging it out.”  
Matt nodded in agreement.  
“So, we need to get it easily, without them noticing we’re on to him. We need power…”  
Realization started to dawn on Matt’s face.  
“And we need someone to present this information that nobody will second doubt…”  
His face turned into a grimace.  
“We need Stark, Matt. We need the back up and authority of S.H.I.EL.D.”  
“No…”  
“Matt! This pile of… of… shit it too big and too dangerous for us. Karen, Foggy, Ben… they’re all involved. We’re not only talking about our safety alone anymore… to many people are getting involved and this is getting deathlier by the minute…”  
Matt was silent for a while. The grimace still firm on his face and Caroline could practically hear him summing up all the reasons why not to do it and weighing them against the reasons why they should.  
But she already knew what he would do. There’s only three reasons why they should and they had the names and face of the people he loved. She already knew what the conclusion would be.  
A frustrated sigh left his lips.  
Caroline fished her phone out of her pocket and she heard Matt grit his teeth but he didn’t formulate an objection.  
‘Can we talk? Or are you too pissed to hear me out?’  
She sent it to Dick in her contacts list and a tension filled the air.  
“I hate this…”  
“Me too…”  
Her phone vibrated. Caroline’s heart sped up and she opened his answer.  
‘What is it?’  
Okay, pissed but not too pissed to talk then.  
‘I need your help.’ Caroline decided to be straight, sugarcoating didn’t help with Stark.  
‘Urgent?’  
‘Yes and no.’  
‘Tonight 6pm, your place.’  
Caroline sighed.  
“It’s done… he’s meeting me here tonight.”  
Matt nodded.  
“I’m going to listen in from a few blocks away.”  
“Okay.”

They silently started cleaning up the table and Caroline missed the happy bubble from this morning. She wished she could go back to it. While rinsing the coffee pot two warm hands crept around her middle and her heart fluttered.  
“I love how you respond to me.” Matt whispered huskily in her neck. The feel of his breath on her neck sent shivers down her spine. Matt pressed a soft kiss in her neck and Caroline felt a heat rising in her belly.  
She whimpered softly, remembering his touches on her skin from last night. How he felt, how he made her feel, how she made him feel and her blood was boiling.  
Matt started kissing her neck in different places and Caroline’s knees buckled.  
He caught her in a firm grip between him and the counter. His hands started to explore her skin again and Caroline was on fire. Her breath quickened.  
Matt groaned in her neck and the sound traveled down her spine to the pit of her stomach.  
“You overtake me Caroline, you have no idea what you do to me, how you sneak your way into my being, cloud my senses… all I feel is you…” Matt whispered low and husky, his voice dripping with a need, a hunger.  
Caroline whimpered again, she was like putty in his hands.  
“You drive me mad…” His teeth grazing her sensitive skin.  
Caroline swallowed hard, again, tried to gain control, she only needed it for a few seconds…  
“T… mmm… take me to bed, Matt.”  
Matt needn’t be told twice, he picked her up and marched to the bedroom. 

-§-

The sky slowly grew darker while Caroline was tracing a random pattern on Matt’s chest.  
Happiness radiating from her body.  
Her head was resting on Matt’s shoulders and she turned to face him.  
“I can’t believe we spent almost the entire day in bed.”  
“I wanted to stay in the happy bubble too.”  
Caroline chuckled.  
It had been a very happy bubble, it hadn’t only been filled with passion, they had talked a lot too.  
Recounting childhood stories, happy memories, hilarious happenings.  
Caroline felt like the happiest girl on the planet, the most at peace she had ever been.  
Matt chuckled.  
“I swear I’ve never been this healthy since I was a baby, I think.”  
Caroline tilted her head in question.  
“Your healing powers have been flowing into me all day.”  
Caroline smiled. She rather liked this side-effect.  
“I swear it’s not draining me in any way.”  
“I know.”  
She gazed into his unseeing eyes. They didn’t see but they showed so much. She could get lost in them forever. While she was wandering through seas of brown, Matt shifted.  
“What is it?”  
“How late is it?”  
Caroline tore her gaze away of his eyes and looked at the alarm clock.  
“5:50 pm.”  
She froze.  
“Stark.”  
Matt nodded and gently started to get up.  
“I thought I heard a helicopter in the distance.”  
Caroline’s eyes grew wide, amazed at how far his senses went.  
“That’s…”  
“You.”  
Caroline shot up and looked at him bewildered.  
“What?”  
“It’s weird, it’s like you’re amplifying my senses. I guess because nothing else has to be healed?”  
“Oh.” Caroline made a mental note of it.  
Matt had put his pants on and was buttoning up his shirt at the moment.  
“Shouldn’t you…”  
Caroline woke from her daze and ripped her eyes away from his body.  
“I probably should.”  
She dashed to the bathroom to freshen up and put on some sweatpants and a simple T-shirt.  
When she returned to the room, Matt was fully dressed and awaiting her with a smile.  
“I’m going to run home quickly and put on my gear. I’m pretty sure I can keep listening with the boost you’re giving me right now.”  
“Okay.”  
They walked to her front door and Matt pulled her in the sweetest kiss, she could feel her heart fill up with warmth, with Matt.  
“Thank you for today.” He whispered against her lips. “I needed it.”  
“I should be thanking you…” Caroline whispered back.  
She could feel how his lips formed a smile. He suddenly tilted his head.  
“He’s here.”

They let each other go and Caroline closed the door behind him. A happy smile still plastered on her face. She quickly dashed around the apartment to clean it up just a bit.  
She had just thrown the last piece of clothing in the laundry bin, when a sharp knock sounded through the apartment.  
Caroline opened the roof access door and greeted Stark with her most brilliant smile. She couldn’t help it.  
Stark’s eyebrows shot up at her happy face and she thought she saw a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.  
“Well, you’re happy to see me.”  
“Well, I’m just happy in general. Do you prefer me grumpy?”  
Stark chuckled. Chuckled! Caroline had never seen him smile before without it being mean or at her expense. She rather liked it.  
She stepped back and let him enter. It was then that she noticed he was carrying a package. She eyed it curiously but didn’t ask about it.  
“Do you want something to drink?”  
“Do you have scotch?”  
“Well I haven’t touched the bottle you left here.”  
Starks eyes sparked at that. Must be a good bottle.  
She poured him a drink and watched him taking a sip. He was eying her with curiosity.  
“Sooo, you’re not pissed then?” Caroline tempted.  
“Not at you.” Short but clear. Poor Steven.  
“Why don’t you want me near S.H.I.E.L.D.?” She blurted out. He was in a good mood, she could tell, it slipped.  
Stark took another sip and sat down at her table, thinking things over.  
Caroline followed his example and sat down as well, while he put the package on the ground next to him.  
He eyed her thoughtfully, like he was debating something in his mind. The man in front of her sighed and his expression softened.  
“It’s not that I don’t think you’re capable. You’ve proven me wrong lately.” He took another sip. “Not only through your reports but Rogers told me what happened at the mission.”  
He hesitated a moment.  
“And I’ve been keeping an eye out. The hospital here has the lowest death rate and the highest healing rate in the state. I’m assuming you’re behind that?”  
Caroline nodded slowly. “I’ve been training.”  
“It’s a very productive training. So, capable you are, no doubt about it.”  
Caroline couldn’t help but feel proud, it wasn’t exactly a compliment, but coming from him she saw it as high praise.  
“So, what then?”  
Stark sighed again and suddenly he looked like an old man. She knew he was in his mid-forties, but he never really looked the part. Until now that is. His troubles weighing him down.  
This was the first time Caroline truly believed Steven that she could trust Stark, Tony. That he really meant well.  
“S.H.I.E.L.D. means well… but they are very controlling. We need to do everything exactly right and by the book. I know that doesn’t sound really as horrifying to you as it does to me…” He gave her a short boyish grin. “But since they brought us together, they think they own us and everything we do. They expect us to be at their back and call. Luckily, they don’t have that much leverage on us, so we are kind of free.”  
Stark looked at her with piercing eyes and Caroline had a feeling she knew what would come next.  
“But you… it was S.H.I.E.L.D. that was first notified about your situation and it was them that sent me to go grab you. Normally I’d throw them off but I heard them planning a witness protection program for your family. I’m not stupid, I’ve dealt with them enough to know what that means.”  
“They have leverage over me…” Caroline said with a coldness that was seeping into her bones.  
“Exactly. I’ve been loosening their grip on you, by providing you with everything. Money, an apartment, a new identity. And by being your liaison to them, I can downsize your… assets. They minute they find out you’re capable enough, they’ll enlist you. Holding your family over your head.”  
Stark took another drink and Caroline swallowed painfully.  
“You won’t be a slave, they’ll pay you, but you won’t have any freedom and no way out of it either. If they say move, you’ll move, if they say fetch, you’ll fetch, if they say… kill, you’ll… kill.”

A deafening silence fell in the apartment and Caroline reached for the scotch with a trembling hand and poured herself a glass. She wasn’t much of a scotch drinker, but she needed to feel the burn.  
This was it, this was the moment she had been waiting for.  
Her doom, her happiness couldn’t be, she was damned for hell after all.  
She took a big gulp and didn’t flinch when the liquid burned a way down her throat.  
At least her family would be safe.  
“Now, I’ve been keeping them away from you, telling them you’re still too weak, too traumatized about the last time… they’ve been buying it so far.”  
Caroline was staring into her glass, wondering if she should down the whole thing in one go.  
“And while they’re believing me, I’ve been busy searching for your family, to relocate them and take them under my wing instead.”  
Caroline’s head snapped back up and she stared at him in disbelief.  
“I’ll find them, and when I do, and only then, I’ll introduce you to S.H.I.E.L.D. You’ll be able to make your own goddamn choices.”  
Stark downed the rest of his glass and poured another one.  
Caroline was still staring, this douche, this asshole that has been irking her since she met him is doing all this for her?  
“Why?” The question that popped in her head simultaneously left her mouth. “Why do this for me?”  
A boyish grin grazed his face again, with a spark in his eyes. The years flew off him again.  
“Because then you’ll owe me.” He winked and Caroline cringed.  
He was looking at her in amusement and Caroline was surprised to realize she didn’t believe him.  
“I will, and I hope I’ll be able to repay that debt. But I don’t buy that’s why you’re doing it.”  
Stark took another sip of his glass.  
“I’m doing this, because I believe in freedom. I’m doing this because I don’t believe one stupid choice, one accident, should ruin someone’s life.”  
Now a new feeling overwhelmed her while she was looking at him. Something she had never felt in his presence.  
She was grateful.  
“Thank you.”  
Stark just nodded and drank from his scotch again.

“Now, I don’t think this was the reason you wanted to talk?”  
Caroline mentally shook herself out of her stupor.  
“Yes… I mean no… It’s about the situation in Hell’s Kitchen.”  
She downed her own glass and started telling him everything they knew so far. With multiple things censored out, to protect a certain someone of course.  
By the time, she ended Stark was down to his third glass and Caroline had poured herself some soda.  
He seemed to be in deep thoughts.  
“So, I was wondering if your clearance or your computer, since you’re like a freaking genius on that part, could be of any help to dig up the dirt without being noticed.”  
“You’ve been working together with the vigilante on this I presume?”  
“Yes.”  
Stark examined her again and Caroline tried her very best to maintain a pokerface.  
“Would he be willing to meet me?”  
“I…” Caroline hesitated.  
She realized she trusted Stark completely now, well with the important stuff anyway.  
And she knew Matt has been listening to this conversation, so maybe he’ll be inclined to agree.  
“Hang on, I’ll ask.”  
Caroline took out her cellphone to dial his number and Stark’s eyebrows raised in amazement.  
“He gave you his number?”  
“It’s a burner phone, but yes. It already saved my ass once.”  
“You do remember I gave you a panic button, right?”  
“I know, but I’ll only use that when the danger is on a larger scale.”  
Stark muttered something under his breath, while she dialed the number.  
The phone only rang once.  
“Hi.”  
“I’m already on my way.” Matt’s gruffly voice sounded. It was the mask’s voice.  
“Okay.”  
Stark looked surprised again. Damn that conversation probably was way too short.  
“He was already on his way.”  
Before Stark could question her about it, they were interrupted by a knock.  
Caroline stood and her heart was hammering in her chest while she walked to the door.  
When she opened it and it revealed Matt… the Mask, that happy feeling from before threatened to take over her face again, but she pushed it back, forcefully. Stark couldn’t know.

Stark raised from his seat while M…the Mask entered the apartment.  
While she closed the door, the two of them were in a standoff and staring each other down. Well, Stark was staring the Mask down anyway.  
Caroline rolled her eyes. Men!  
“So, Mask this is Tony Stark. Stark this is Mask.”  
“I heard you were called the devil of Hell’s Kitchen.”  
“That name is tied to actions I didn’t do.” The Mask said gruffly.  
“So, I heard. Caroline told me this Fisk fella is the one to blame?” Stark said lightly, easing back in his boyish behavior.  
The Mask nodded briskly.  
“You’re in luck, I trust this young woman, so I believe her.” Stark said while playing with his glass, smirk on his face. His words surprised her a bit though.  
“Now if you join our merry band of misfits, hiccups like the bombing could have been prevented. We control a lot of the media.”  
“That is a generous offer but I have no desire of joining the Avengers.”  
“Why not?”  
“I’d like to keep my secret identity, exactly that, secret.”  
“And if we don’t ask for it? You could help us without revealing your identity.” Stark offered.  
The Mask was hesitating and Caroline had to suppress the urge to reach for his hand in a comforting manner.  
“I am no hero, I’m not even close to being in your league. I’m just a man who got tired of the corruption in his home. I’m nothing special, I don’t have any superpower. I get gravely injured most of the time and I would probably already be dead if I hadn’t met Caroline…”  
“You’ve seen it then? You know what she can do?”  
“Yes, rather hard not to notice when she’s using it to heal me. She saved my life, on multiple occasions, so why would you even want me to join?” The mask said.  
“There is strength in numbers and don’t downsize yourself, I have seen you in action.”  
“How…?”  
“S.H.I.E.L.D., they are very intrigued by you. Like you said, you don’t have superpowers but it seems you can move mountains…”  
“That’s very… flattering, but no thanks.” The Mask hesitated a moment before continuing. “I won’t join you, but if the world is at stake, I’ll help.”  
Stark nodded, content with the answer and eyed him over, measuring him up.  
“Alright, I’ll help you with the Fisk problem…”  
Caroline let out a relieved breath.  
“On one condition.”  
She sucked it right back in. Please, please, please don’t ask for his identity.  
“Watch her back, will you. She’s rather special, but I have a feeling she rushes into things without thinking about her own safety.”  
Caroline was stunned. She felt a surge of anger bubble up but it deflated the moment she saw his face. He didn’t mean it contemptuously, he looked sincere.  
“They’ll have to kill me first before they’ll hurt her.”  
Caroline looked at M…the Mask. His statement sounded like a promise and Caroline blushed.  
Stark nodded and downed the rest of the scotch. He reached behind him and picked the package up.  
“Now since you run into danger like a madwoman, I thought this could help.”  
Stark handed her the package and Caroline’s curiosity took over.  
She ripped the brown paper off, opened the box and gasped.  
A mask was staring back at her.  
It was a very feminine mask. In a dark green color, and a pattern of leaves impressed on it. She eyes were catlike and filled with bright green glass.  
Caroline lifted it out of the box with trembling fingers. Underneath it was a leather suit with gloves and booths. It was also dark green with leaves impressed on it. There were accents of a lighter green, more like a forest green as well.  
The suit felt very light and weighed nothing.  
“Wha… what is this?”  
“It’s a body armor. And it protects your identity as well.”  
Caroline touched it again in disbelief.  
“But it’s so light…”  
“It is, since you can heal most things on your own, you don’t need that much protection. However, the area around your heart is reinforced, so you can’t be shot or stabbed there. The mask as well to protect your head. Because we don’t really want to find out what happens when you get hurt there, now, do we?”  
Caroline looked up in disbelief and saw that Stark was very pleased with her reaction of awe.  
“I… I can’t… this must have cost a fortune to make.”  
“Not really, I made it myself.”  
What!  
She was holding one of his own creations? One of the famous Stark creations?  
Stark chuckled.  
“Don’t be so surprised. I made my Iron Man suit on my own as well. All of my other colleagues and protégés have handmade suits. I like making it myself, I trust only myself to do a perfect job at it. Trust me, yours was by far the easiest to make. And the cheapest, since that bothers you so much.”  
He rolled his eyes. “Now Peter’s, that was an expensive one.”  
Caroline recalled the kid she had to heal and smiled.  
“Thank you, thank you for everything.”  
“Yes, yes.” Stark waved it away. “Don’t get all emotional on me.”  
Caroline eyed Stark again.  
He was still as arrogant as ever, but she got to see a whole other side of him today. She made a mental note to change his name from ‘Dick’ to ‘Tony’.  
Stark clapped his hands together.  
“So, business concluded then? You keep her safe, you try not to get killed and I’ll see to it that you’ll have so much dirt on Wilson Fisk, you could bury him beneath it.”  
Stark said happily while turning to speak to them in order.  
“Good, now if you’ll excuse me, I have closets to search for skeletons.” Stark walked to the door and opened it. Caroline followed him to wish him goodnight.  
“Stark…”  
He was already outside and turned back to Caroline.  
“About my…”  
“I’ll keep you updated on your family. As soon as I find them, you’ll be the first to know.”  
“Thank you.”  
“You’re welcome.” He turned back and got into the helicopter.  
Caroline watched him disappear into it and couldn’t help but think that she was glad that she got to see a glimpse of the real Tony Stark.


End file.
